Russian lawmakers are advancing a proposal to mandate identity verification for accessing all adult content online, with proponents explicitly calling for the use of the state’s centralized e-government and biometric platforms.
The initiative, discussed on October 28, is being publicly framed as a measure to “protect minors” from harmful content. However, the definition of this content is exceptionally broad, with one official describing it as including not just pornography but also videos with “foul language, violence and ‘propaganda of antisocial behavior’,” according to TechRadar.
What makes this proposal significant is its specific technical implementation path. Lawmakers, including State Duma deputy and former FSB member Anton Nemkin, are suggesting that age verification should be conducted through the “Gosuslugi” e-government portal. This portal is directly linked to the country’s Unified System of Identification and Authentication (ESIA) and, by extension, the federal Unified Biometrics System (UBS).
Nemkin stated these tools “could be used to verify age without directly transmitting passport data to third-party platforms,” positioning the state as a centralized identity broker for all online interactions.
This proposal is a critical step in a long-term state strategy of de-anonymization, using the protection of children as a legal and social pretext. Digital rights lawyers note that Russia’s entire internet censorship apparatus, which began in 2012, was built on the same justification.
This is not an isolated idea. It is the logical next step in a broader push for “digital sovereignty.” Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Andrei Svintsov recently stated that all Russians are set to lose their internet anonymity within “three years, five at most,” according to TechRadar. Furthermore, this aligns with the government’s development of a “super-app,” which passed the State Duma in June, to combine digital ID, government services, and payments—a system that can be used to “confirm one’s age to a supermarket cashier.”
If passed, this law would not just “protect kids.” It would force citizens to use their official, state-verified digital identity (ESIA) to access a broadly defined category of “adult” content. This creates a direct, permanent, and queryable link between an individual’s verified state identity and their private online consumption habits. It hands the state a powerful new tool for data collection and social control, effectively ending online anonymity for a significant portion of internet activity under the guise of public safety.
The proposal echoes similar global trends in age verification, though Russia’s approach is distinctive in its explicit integration with state-controlled biometric and digital identity systems.
Sources: TechRadar
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By Cass Kennedy
