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On March 1, 2026, amendments to the Consumer Protection Law come into effect — it is supplemented by new Article 10.1. Now the requirements regarding the language of information affect not only advertising but also any public materials that consumers encounter: signs, wayfinding, websites, mobile applications, audio announcements, and much more.
What Exactly Changes
Previously, the law regulated the language of advertising and mandatory product information. Now the requirement applies to any public information for consumers, even if it is not advertising.
From March 1, 2026:
From March 1, 2026:
- information for public viewing must be displayed primarily in Russian;
- other languages (foreign or state languages of Russian republics) are allowed only as duplication;
- text in other languages must be:
- identical in content,
- placed after the Russian text,
- executed in a similar formatting style.
Examples of correct and incorrect formatting:
- Correct: Книжный магазин / Book store
- Incorrect: Book store
- Incorrect: Book store / Книжный магазин
- Incorrect: Бук стор / Book store
Similar requirements apply to audio information (announcements, voice menus, etc.).
What Falls Under the New Requirements
The regulation covers:
Effectively — any text accessible to consumers in public spaces or on the internet.
- signs and wayfinding;
- indoor signage;
- directional signs and information boards;
- website and mobile application interfaces;
- text blocks in publicly accessible website sections;
- audio announcements and other public audio materials.
Effectively — any text accessible to consumers in public spaces or on the internet.
Important: Anglicisms
The use of foreign words is separately regulated. Only those included in the Dictionary of Foreign Words (Institute for Linguistic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences) are permitted.
For example, allowed terms include: "онлайн" (online), "репост" (repost), "свитшот" (sweatshirt), "тапиока" (tapioca).
Not included in the dictionary: "лайфхак" (lifehack), "кешбек" (cashback), "релакс" (relax).
This means that when using foreign words, you must separately verify their permissibility.
Not included in the dictionary: "лайфхак" (lifehack), "кешбек" (cashback), "релакс" (relax).
This means that when using foreign words, you must separately verify their permissibility.
Exceptions
The requirements do not apply to registered:
If using a foreign word is essential for your business, consider trademark registration.
- company names;
- trademarks;
- service marks;
- other protected designations.
If using a foreign word is essential for your business, consider trademark registration.
Liability
Violations of consumer protection legislation carry fines:
If multiple violations occur, fines will likely be cumulative.
- for legal entities — up to 40,000 rubles per violation;
- for officials — up to 4,000 rubles per violation.
If multiple violations occur, fines will likely be cumulative.
What We Recommend Doing Now
To avoid risks and fines, we suggest preparatory work:
Acsour experts are ready to:
Contact us — we will audit your public information and help you prepare for the new requirements without fines or last-minute rush.
- Inventory all public information (signs, website, applications, wayfinding, audio).
- Verify the language of display and compliance with Russian language priority.
- Assess the correctness of duplication in other languages.
- Check any anglicisms used against the Dictionary of Foreign Words.
- If necessary — prepare changes or consider trademark registration.
Acsour experts are ready to:
- conduct a legal audit of signs, websites, and applications;
- provide an opinion on risks and compliance with new requirements;
- check anglicisms and wording;
- develop a plan for correcting information;
- advise on trademark registration.
Contact us — we will audit your public information and help you prepare for the new requirements without fines or last-minute rush.
