Mandatory preinstallation of Russian software postponed

On Tuesday, the State Duma approved an amendment to the law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, as well as a number of other measures to prevent and eliminate emergency situations. In accordance with the updated law, it will be necessary to preinstall Russian software on smartphones, computers, tablets and smart TVs from January 1, 2021.

According to the original plan, the law was to enter into force on July 1, 2020, when all the smartphones sold in Russia were supposed to begin installing domestic search engines, browsers, map services and navigators.

Since July 2021, it was planned to replenish the list with tablets, as well as expand the list of software with instant messengers, social networks and other applications. Later, the Federal Antimonopoly Service demanded permission to sell gadgets only with preinstalled Russian software as early as July 1 of this year.

Alexander Onishchuk, President of the Association of Trading Companies and Manufacturers of Electrical and Computer Equipment (RATEK), sent a letter to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin asking him to abandon this idea so that there would not be a shortage of relevant products on the Russian market.