As autumn begins, Russia is set to implement a series of new laws in September 2025. These changes encompass various sectors, including restrictions on searching for extremist information and advertising VPN services, enhanced measures to combat fraud, updates to traffic regulations, and a revised list of strategically important medications. This article provides an overview of these key legislative developments.
Overview of Key Legislative Changes
Smartphones
Starting September 1, the Max messenger application will become mandatory for pre-installation on all devices, replacing «VK Messenger» on which it is based. Telecommunications expert Alexey Zhabin notes that authorities intend for Max to serve as a Russian alternative to China`s WeChat, offering not only messaging but also a platform for interacting with government agencies. Mandatory pre-installation is seen as a strategy to popularize the application.
Additionally, the Russian app store RuStore will also become a mandatory pre-installation on devices running iOS (Apple) and HyperOS (Xiaomi), expanding its previous requirement only for Android and HarmonyOS. Devices must also allow for the installation and payment of programs via the service, ensuring users full freedom to use applications from RuStore.
Internet Bans
A new law effective September 1 prohibits the advertising of VPN services and other tools used to bypass internet blocking. Violations will result in significant fines: 50,000 to 80,000 rubles for individuals, 80,000 to 150,000 rubles for officials, and 200,000 to 500,000 rubles for legal entities.
From September 1, advertising is banned on information resources deemed undesirable or extremist in Russia. This primarily impacts platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Varvara Polonskaya, a senior telecommunications and media correspondent, suggests that this ban will shift advertiser budgets towards platforms like Telegram and VK, where investments are already projected to increase significantly. She also warns that restricting advertising channels could reduce competition and lead to the monopolization of the market by large Russian platforms, potentially increasing advertising costs, especially for small businesses.
Penalties for intentionally searching for and accessing extremist materials via VPNs also take effect on September 1. Dmitry Kamyshev, head of the policy department, noted that Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev clarified to State Duma deputies that these penalties apply only to materials on the Ministry of Justice`s extremist list (currently about 5,500 items). The minister assured that law-abiding citizens who accidentally access such content would not be affected, as the law requires intent. However, some internet researchers monitoring extremist materials for removal have expressed concern over these new fines.
A ban on the promotion of narcotics across the internet, books, cinema, and media will be enforced starting September 1. This restriction does not apply to artistic works where narcotics are an integral and justifiable part of the creative concept.
Healthcare
Effective September 1, paramedics and midwives will be authorized to provide primary and emergency medical care in situations where specialist doctors are temporarily unavailable or in short supply.
Control over the production of dietary supplements (BADs) will be strengthened from September 1. The government will establish quality criteria for supplements and their raw materials, as well as registration procedures. A list of BADs and their indications will be created. Alexandra Mertsalova, Deputy Head of the Consumer Market Department, states that the initiative aims to remove low-quality products from circulation and systematize BAD consumption, with their use guided by a list prepared by the Ministry of Health and Rospotrebnadzor. The Russian BAD market is growing rapidly, with consumers spending 164 billion rubles in 2024. The expansion of the labeling system on September 1 is expected to help legitimize the market and combat the estimated 40 billion ruble shadow market.
A list of strategically significant pharmaceutical drugs (SSPD) will be implemented in Russia on September 1, 2025. This list will include medications critical for treating socially significant diseases that threaten life or quality of life. Alexandra Mertsalova explains that the initiative aims to establish a list of essential medicines for national healthcare stability. The SSPD will include drugs from the vital and essential drugs list (VEDL), requiring a full production cycle in Russia, including the synthesis of pharmaceutical substances, to reduce reliance on imports. Producers of these drugs will receive preferences in government procurement.
Education
From September 1, the Russian government gains the authority to regulate the number of students admitted to universities on a commercial basis. Quotas are intended to address the imbalance between graduates and the state`s need for specialists in certain fields, particularly engineers. Polina Yachmennikova, a non-business news correspondent, notes that while the amendments to the «On Education» law come into effect, the new mechanism for regulating paid university slots will only be operational after the necessary sub-legal acts are approved and published by the government, which have not yet been developed.
Beginning September 1, college graduates will be required to pass the Unified State Exam (EGE) for university admission if their chosen university major differs from their completed vocational education profile. Previously, college graduates could enter universities via internal exams, bypassing the EGE, even for unrelated fields. Polina Yachmennikova clarifies that since the current admission campaign is over, these changes will effectively apply next year, giving universities time to update their internal documents and admission rules.
Starting September 1, an experiment on assessing student behavior will be conducted in seven regions (Novgorod, Tula, Yaroslavl, and Leningrad regions, LPR, Mordovia, and Chechnya). Polina Yachmennikova states that each school can choose an evaluation system (e.g., five-point, pass/fail, exemplary/satisfactory/unsatisfactory). Class teachers will assign the grades, considering input from other educators and school administration. The pilot will run until the end of the year, after which its continuation and expansion to other regions will be evaluated.
A new State Standard (GOST) with requirements for school uniforms will take effect on September 3. While these rules are generally recommendations, manufacturers who claim their uniforms comply with GOST must adhere to the standard. Polina Yachmennikova clarifies that GOST is voluntary for manufacturers, and school uniforms themselves remain optional, decided by individual school administrations. Russia`s Minister of Education, Sergey Kravtsov, stated that the ministry does not recommend any specific uniform for educational institutions.
Fraud Prevention
From September 1, individual entrepreneurs and companies must mark outgoing calls, displaying the organization`s or brand`s name to the recipient. Users will also gain the ability to opt out of mass calls entirely or permit calls only from specific organizations, configurable through their mobile operator`s personal account or app.
Effective September 1, banks are mandated to analyze customer cash withdrawal operations for suspicious indicators. Upon detection, credit organizations will impose a daily ATM withdrawal limit of 50,000 rubles for up to 48 hours. If a client`s accounts or cards are listed in a «dropper» database (accounts used by fraudsters), the limit will be 100,000 rubles per month. Larger amounts will require an in-person visit to a bank branch. Financial correspondent Elena Vanyushina explains that suspicious activity includes unusual withdrawal times, locations, or amounts, as well as non-standard withdrawal methods like QR codes. Other red flags include closing a deposit of over 200,000 rubles, transferring more than 200,000 rubles via the Fast Payment System (SPS), or taking out a loan less than 24 hours before a large withdrawal. While these measures aim to combat fraud, there is a risk of false positives, though this is estimated to be below 5%.
As of September 1, bank clients can designate a trusted individual to monitor their account transactions. This «second hand» will receive notifications of fund transfers or cash withdrawals and can block suspicious transactions within 12 hours. The trusted person does not have direct access to the account or the ability to initiate operations. Financial correspondent Maxim Builov highlights that this measure aims to protect vulnerable individuals, especially the elderly, and enhance parental control over transactions made by teenagers who might unknowingly participate in «dropper» schemes. While the «second hand» service seems logical, similar to two-factor authentication, Builov cautions that fraudsters often exploit new security measures. He predicts that lonely elderly individuals might be pressured by social engineering to appoint unauthorized «representatives.» This risk could be mitigated if only relatives could be designated as trusted persons, but this would unfortunately exclude many vulnerable seniors who lack family support.
A «cooling-off period» will be introduced for consumer loan agreements starting September 1. For loans or borrowings between 50,000 and 200,000 rubles, funds will only be accessible after four hours. For amounts exceeding 200,000 rubles, the waiting period extends to 48 hours. This cooling-off period does not apply to mortgages, educational, or auto loans (if funds are directly transferred to a dealer). It also excludes in-store credit, loans with co-borrowers or guarantors, and refinancing without increasing the debt amount. Financial correspondent Elena Vanyushina notes that these measures aim to protect individuals from taking out loans under the influence of fraudsters, citing Central Bank data of 273,100 fraudulent operations totaling 6.3 billion rubles in Q2 2025.
From September 1, Russians will have the option to self-impose a ban on registering new SIM cards via «Gosuslugi» (public services portal) or MFCs (multifunctional centers). It will also be prohibited to transfer one`s phone number to others, with fines for transmitting data required for online registration or authorization. Tatyana Isakova, Head of Telecommunications and Media, explains that this measure extends an April restriction on the number of SIM cards per person (20 for Russians, 10 for foreigners). While earlier limits aimed to curb fraudulent activity, the self-ban protects citizens from unauthorized SIM card registrations. Since April, users can check their registered SIM cards on «Gosuslugi» and terminate agreements if needed. Alexander Golubev, Deputy Head of the Incidents Department, emphasizes that this new measure primarily targets the escalating issue of remote fraud. He warns that intentionally transferring SIM cards to fraudsters could lead to not only fines but also criminal charges for complicity under the Russian Criminal Code.
Demography
On September 1, Roskomnadzor`s criteria for identifying the promotion of child rejection (anti-childbearing propaganda) come into force. This includes blocking information that advocates against having children, justifies such decisions, highlights benefits of being childless, or creates a negative image of pregnancy, motherhood, and fatherhood.
Films promoting child rejection will not receive distribution certificates starting September 1. Such propaganda can also lead to the revocation of previously issued certificates. This Ministry of Culture order will be in effect until September 1, 2030, with a possibility of extension. Culture correspondent Yulia Shagelman notes that previous regulations already prohibited certificates for films promoting pornography, violence, cruelty, non-traditional sexual preferences, gender change, or containing materials violating anti-terrorism/extremism laws or information on drug production.
