MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law completely banning propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations, gender reassignment and pedophilia, according to a corresponding entry made in the Russian State Duma (lower parliament database) on Sunday.
Amendments have been made to the law on information, information technologies and information protection and to other documents.
Under the new law, such propaganda is now completely prohibited on social networks, in the mass media, films and advertisements.
A separate provision bans the dissemination of such information among minors, whereas until now the ban applied only to materials about LGBT. There are plans to establish a mechanism to deny access to LBGT-related information on paid sites for minors. Special codes or other actions will be necessary to enter such websites.
The country’s mass media watchdog will be authorized to put websites with the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations, pedophilia, and gender reassignment on the register of prohibited resources subject to blocking. It will also be authorized to determine the procedure of internet monitoring to spot such sites.
The law also prohibits sale of goods, including imported goods, containing information the distribution of which carries administrative or criminal responsibility.
Concurrently, another law signed by President Putin amends the Code of Administrative Offense to introduce administrative liability for the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among people of any age, not only children.
According to Alexander Bashkin, a member of the constitutional legislation committee of Russia’s Federation Council (upper parliament house), such propaganda was previously prohibited only among minors whereas now the ban applies to people of any age.
The law comes into effect on the day of its publication.
