168-FZ: how to adapt websites and interfaces to the Russian language

Federal Law 168-FZ: Adapting Digital Interfaces and Ads for Russian Language Requirements

Federal Law 168-FZ, effective in 2026, prioritizes Russian in public consumer information, impacting website interfaces, apps, and advertising. Product teams and developers must review foreign terms in B2C segments to dodge fines and regulatory scrutiny.

Who Needs to Comply

Federal Law 168-FZ amends consumer protection laws and applies to businesses dealing with individuals. Key areas:

• B2C products: subscriptions, marketplaces, consumer services.
• B2B with B2C elements: landing pages or plans for sole proprietors and freelancers.

High-risk zones where English-only won't cut it:

• Advertising: banners, promo posts, emails, billboards.
• Product and service info: landing pages, pricing pages, marketplace listings, public offers.
• User interfaces: section names, buttons, order statuses, notifications.

Adaptation example:

• Before: "BLACK FRIDAY SALE −50%" banner, Checkout button.
• After: "Black Friday Sale −50% (Black Friday Sale)" , "Place Order (Checkout)" with matching styling for both languages.

What the law skips:

• Code, variable names, comments, logs.
• Internal tools like Jira or Confluence without consumer access.
• Developer tech docs: API specs, architecture diagrams.
• Engineer-focused materials, unless they're ads.

Fines and Risks for Non-Compliance

While 168-FZ doesn't set new fines, it ties into existing Code of Administrative Offenses (CoAO) rules. Penalties vary:

• General violations (Art. 14.8 Part 1 CoAO): warning or up to 10,000 RUB fine for LLCs.
• Selling goods/services (Art. 14.5 Part 1 CoAO): up to 40,000 RUB for LLCs.
• Ad violations (Art. 14.3 CoAO): up to 500,000 RUB for LLCs.

The real threat? Not fines alone, but FAS and Rospotrebnadzor audits triggered by complaints, which can escalate business headaches. Audit your materials calmly, prioritizing hot spots.

Gray Areas: Tech Terms and Acronyms

Tricky spots are terms without direct Russian equivalents or international standards. Handling tips:

• Tech standards: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, NFC, LTE, 5G — keep as is; they're standard. In ads, add context like "Blazing-fast Wi-Fi."
• Pro acronyms: API, SaaS, SLA, SSO, OTP — explain on first use, e.g., "application programming interface (API)." For mass audiences, swap to Russian where possible.
• Product/feature names: Keep registered trademarks in Latin. For others, add Russian descriptors like "SmartPay feature (smart payments)."

Steer clear of leaking internal lingo (e.g., dashboard, widget) into user-facing spots—use clear Russian alternatives.

Official Dictionaries and Term Checks

Legally, a word counts as Russian if it's in government-approved dictionaries:

• Russian Orthographic Dictionary.
• Russian Pronunciation Dictionary.
• Dictionary of Foreign Words.
• Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian State Language.

Use online tools aggregating these for checks. If unsure:

• Look in the foreign words dictionary.
• If missing, check orthographic or explanatory.
• If still absent, replace with Russian or add explanation.

This minimizes risks and ensures compliance.

Quick-Start Compliance Checklist

If the law's live and you're not ready, tackle this prioritized list:

• Ad campaigns (critical): Pause or rewrite materials with terms like SALE, Cashback, Premium lacking Russian versions.
• Key landing and sales pages (critical): Audit headlines, buttons (e.g., Buy, Checkout), pricing tiers (Pro, Enterprise)—Russianize or add equivalents.
• Public offers and terms (critical): Ensure user agreements, shipping/returns are clear in Russian, no unexplained Anglicisms.
• Marketplace product listings (high priority): Review descriptions/specs, adding Russian for foreign terms.
• User interfaces (medium priority): Audit sections, buttons, statuses, notifications—switch to Russian.

Key takeaways:

• 168-FZ prioritizes Russian in consumer-facing info but doesn't ban English.
• Hot risks: ads, sales materials, B2C UIs.
• Fines up to 500,000 RUB for ad breaches; audits are the big worry.
• Handle tech terms carefully: keep standards, explain others.
• Verify with official dictionaries and tools.
• Start with ad audits and core pages to cut risks.

— Editorial Team