Russian Ministry of Digital Development Considering Cancelling Blocking of Sites Showing Unlicensed Video Content

The media has reported that the Ministry of Digital Development in Russia is considering the possibility of canceling the blocking of sites that show video content from Western companies that is not officially presented in Russia.
Journalists, citing their own source in the industry, report that the Ministry of Digital Development, together with industry representatives, is working on proposals to abandon access restrictions to sites that provide unlicensed video content of Western majors, under certain conditions.
The source listed the following conditions: video content should not be legally presented in Russian online services, and should not be rented in cinemas and “contain extremist materials and LGBT propaganda.”
Problems with film distribution in Russia have arisen due to a special military operation, as many Western film companies and streaming services, including Disney, Warner Bros, Netflix and Sony Pictures, have suspended the work and distribution of their content in Russia.
Last week, it became known that the deputies sent a letter to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko with a proposal to create legal file-sharing services in Russia for hosting media content from unfriendly countries.
The Ministry of Digital Development is currently exploring the possibility of cancelling the blocking of sites that show unlicensed video content from Western companies. This could be a potential solution to the current issues with film distribution in Russia, as it would allow access to content from Western companies that is not officially presented in the country.

What Are the Conditions?

The source listed the following conditions for cancelling the blocking of sites that show unlicensed video content from Western companies:

• Video content should not be legally presented in Russian online services.
• Video content should not be rented in cinemas.
• Video content should not contain extremist materials or LGBT propaganda.

Proposal to Create Legal File-Sharing Services in Russia

In order to address the current issues with film distribution in Russia, the deputies sent a letter to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko with a proposal to create legal file-sharing services in Russia for hosting media content from unfriendly countries.
The Ministry of Digital Development is currently exploring the possibility of cancelling the blocking of sites that show unlicensed video content from Western companies, which could be a potential solution to the current issues with film distribution in Russia.
It remains to be seen if the Ministry of Digital Development will decide to go ahead with the proposal to cancel the blocking of sites that show unlicensed video content from Western companies. However, if the proposal is accepted, it could provide access to content from Western companies that is not officially presented in the country.