Not all deputies support this bill; the head of the LDPR, Leonid Slutsky, is strongly against it. “We are dealing with the artificial creation of an unnatural monopoly not in the interests of Russia, but in the interests of one company – Russ Outdoor. This will destroy dozens of companies in the advertising industry, it will kill the industry. More than 150-200 thousand people will be on the street. Local budgets will receive a huge shortfall; according to the most conservative estimates, the amount is about 4 billion rubles. Now, in the context of unprecedented sanctions pressure on Russia, we must support, first of all, the economy of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and not deal deafening blows to it. The LDPR party and generally sensible people in Russian politics will work with you to prevent a second reading of the bill,” Slutsky noted at the congress of outdoor advertising operators held today.
The bill, according to its creators, is aimed at ensuring cybersecurity and preventing foreign interference in the Russian digital space. However, it also opens up enormous scope for the development of corruption in this area—the emergence of a single operator will pose a threat to the transparency of the advertising business. The bill does not provide for clear control over the activities of the monopolist. According to expert estimates, the volume of the shadow economy of the Russian Federation is comparable to 38% of the country’s GDP. Under the auspices of protecting Russia from external threats, problems within are worsening. State Duma deputies must realize that by supporting the bill on creating a single digital advertising operator, they will support
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
