Russian MPs Pass Law on Prosecution for Spreading Fake News

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Duma — the lower house of the Russian parliament — passed on Thursday in the first reading bills that will assign responsibility for parties spreading fake information in media and online and also enable regulators to ban the spread of fake information.

"The meaning of the bill is to prevent the spread of deliberately false information. No matter where it comes from. It is important that it will lead to negative consequences", lawmaker Lyudmila Bokova explained.

The draft law prescribes that in case deliberately false information is spotted, it will be blocked and after an accuracy check the authorised agencies will decide on a fine.

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Last December, Russian lawmakers Andrey Klishas, Lyudmila Bokova, and Dmitry Vyatkin submitted to the lower house a bill determining mechanisms for banning the spreading of fake information of public importance in media and online.

Under another bill submitted in December and passed on Thursday, parties spreading fake information will be administratively liable. Thus, individuals will face fines of 3,000 rubles to 5,000 rubles (from $45.5 to $75.85), officials will face fines of 30,000 rubles to 50,000 rubles, and entities will face fines of 400,000 rubles to one million rubles and also confiscation of items with which the offence was carried out.