As of 1 April 2021, manufacturers, importers, sellers and distributors of certain “technically complex” goods must ensure that these goods have pre-installed Russian (or EAEU) software before they could be sold to the end user.
The list of such goods and the required Russian software has been adopted by Direction No. 3704-r of 31 December 2020. The list includes:
I. Wireless communication equipment for household use, personal electronic computers with a touch screen, having two or more functions, with pre-installed programs for electronic computers, having the ability to install such programs from application stores for operating systems on the basis of which such equipment (smartphones, tablet computers);
II. Stationary and laptop computers (excluding tablet computers), system units with an operating system; and
III. Televisions with a digital control unit that have the ability to install such programs from application stores for the operating systems on the basis of which such equipment functions
The Direction prescribes which Russia-originating software is to be preinstalled on which product groups.
For example, for Group I, the following software must be preinstalled:
- Yandex browser,
- Yandex maps,
- Yandex search engine;
- Email service “mail.ru”,
- Social media platform “OK.ru”;
- Social media platform VK.com;\
- Official state services portal “Gosuslugi”; etc.
Law: Direction No. 3704-r of 31 December 2020 on the List of Russian Software that Must be Pre-installed on Certain Technically Complex Products