The authors of the bills reckon that in the event the new laws are passed quickly, spammers can be defeated as soon as this year in Russia. As for spammers, they do not believe the new law will work.

The initiators of the bills, representing the United Russia party, plan to submit amendments to the law on advertising, the Code of Administrative Misdeeds and the Criminal Code, with regard to spamming. Additionally, the Moscow City Duma voted for the preparation of a similar bill and its submission to the State Duma on June 23.

The ideas of both bills are quite similar, but the United Russia’s version is tougher. For example, it gives a specific definition for mass mailings and spam. It is suggested to impose fines of 300 to 1,000 minimum wages, i.e. up to RUR100,000 ($3,446) for spamming, and up to RUR1m ($34,459) for sending mail on behalf on someone else. In the event, a group of people spam on behalf of a third party, they can be sentenced to remedial labor for a period of one to two years. The bill suggested by the Moscow City Duma gives a broader definition for spam and provides for softer sanctions.