The Ministry of Digital Development believes that strict control over video games is not a good idea

On February 24, the State Duma held another meeting of the working group on the preparation of the draft law “On the activities for the development and distribution of video games”. During the first meeting on this issue, officials and specialists close to Roskomnadzor were inclined to adopt the Chinese format for regulating the video game market, with centralized verification and strict control. At the second hearing, the Ministry of Digital Development spoke out against such radical measures, and representatives of Roskomnadzor supported this.

Image source: GFA Games

The Ministry of Digital Development, recognizing the need for state regulation in this area, advocates a more flexible approach. Deputy Minister Ivan Lebedev proposed taking into account technical solutions developed jointly with the industry and making most of the requirements voluntary. In his opinion, this will allow developers to more effectively adapt to the new rules.

During the second meeting, Roskomnadzor also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of strict control by the state and proposed an alternative option – the creation of a self-regulatory organization (SRO) that would take on the functions of monitoring video game content.

The draft law under consideration does not contain information about the role of Roskomnadzor in regulatory matters. According to Roskomnadzor Deputy Head Vadim Subbotin, involving the regulator in monitoring the content of video games cannot be called an effective solution and “would require additional funding.”

Deputies are trying to calm down representatives of the IT business, assuring that the goal of the bill under consideration by parliamentarians is not to ban video games, but to create transparent and understandable “rules of the game.” However, not all participants in the discussion share this optimism, pointing to the insufficient understanding of the specifics of the industry by some of the speakers.