Published on: 2026-10-08
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Tatyana Golikova spoke at the first international conference “Consumer Rights Protection in the Digital Age.”
The first international conference “Consumer Protection in the Digital Age” has opened in Moscow. The event gathered over 400 leaders and specialized experts from government bodies, business communities, and non-governmental organizations of the EAEU, CIS, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Among the participants were also delegates from international organizations within the UN system and executive bodies of the CIS, SCO, and ASEAN. The forum was organized by Rospotrebnadzor with the support of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova read out a greeting from the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. “An effective system for protecting consumer rights has been established in Russia, fully taking into account the opportunities and challenges brought by the rapid development of digital technologies. Relevant provisions have been enshrined in the current state policy strategy in this sphere and have been duly reflected in domestic legislation,” the head of state noted, in particular.
In her speech, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that today Russia is one of the leaders in shaping the international agenda in the field of consumer rights protection.
“Over eight years of implementing the State Policy Strategy in the field of consumer rights protection until 2030, 17 laws aimed at these goals have been adopted in our country, and 39 systemic changes have been made to the basic consumer rights protection law. Since 2019, a single free consultation center operating in three languages has been in operation. In all regions, 639 consumer protection consultation centers are active, where Rospotrebnadzor annually conducts over half a million events. About 80% of all legal disputes in Russia are resolved in favor of the consumer. Annually, about 4 billion rubles are returned to affected consumers. Over 10 years, this figure has quadrupled,” said Tatyana Golikova.
She emphasized that Russian developments were used in the preparation of several international documents – the Recommendations on Preventing the Circulation of Known Unsafe Consumer Goods, the Declaration on Resolving Cross-Border Disputes and Compensating Consumers, as well as in the creation of a UN resource – the World Consumer Rights Protection Map.
An important outcome was the establishment, with the direct involvement of Russia, of global principles for consumer product safety – in December 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution “Consumer Product Safety.” This document enshrined the fundamental principle of ensuring product safety regardless of whether it is sold through traditional means or via electronic commerce. Particular attention was given to the cross-border distribution of unsafe products, information exchange, cooperation among competent authorities, and the use of modern technologies. Thus, consumer product safety has acquired an independent international dimension.
“Even before the adoption of international documents, our country moved to the practical implementation of digital tools for traceability and control of product circulation to ensure its safety and quality. In 2025, digital labeling and an authorization procedure at cash registers were introduced, registering 1.5 million operations per second, allowing the tracking of the product’s path from the manufacturer to the buyer and ensuring consumer protection from substandard goods,” reported the Deputy Prime Minister.
First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Andrey Yatskin, in turn, read out the welcoming address from the Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko. “Protecting consumer interests is one of the priority areas for ensuring human rights. The safety of goods and services, the reliability of the information received about them, fairness of transaction conditions, and the effectiveness of remedying infringed rights are factors that directly affect people’s quality of life,” noted the Chairman of the Federation Council in her welcoming address.
Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov stated in his speech at the opening of the event that, based on last year’s results, the share of online commerce has already exceeded 20%. According to him, it is expected that by 2030 online trade will account for about one third of retail sales.
“The very logic of consumer rights protection is changing. Now, the task of the state, businesses, and digital platforms is to prevent unfair competition and violations, rather than react after the fact. That is, risks must be identified as early as possible—during production and logistics, when the product appears on the shelf, preventing it from reaching the buyer if it is an illegal or unsafe product. The state digital labeling system helps solve this multi-stage task and already covers 52 product groups either mandatorily or on a pilot basis,” added Anton Alikhanov.
Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD Pedro Manuel Moreno addressed the conference participants with a video message.
The participants and guests of the conference were also addressed by Alexander Subbotin, the Minister for Technical Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission. He called the protection of consumer rights an unconditional priority.
“Today, as digital technologies have radically changed our lives, the issues of online commerce security are becoming the most relevant. Our strategic task is to transform these risks into new quality standards. The digital world must become a space of trust that everyone expects today,” noted Alexander Subbotin.
After the welcoming speeches, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, delivered the report “Protection of consumer rights in the digital age: Russia’s experience.”
The Russian system of consumer rights protection has developed alongside the market economy and has responded to new challenges of the consumer market at every stage. Its legal basis consists of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Law of the Russian Federation “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, adopted in 1992.
Judicial protection remains one of the most effective mechanisms for restoring violated rights. Rospotrebnadzor annually participates in more than 20,000 court cases aimed at protecting consumers, with over 98% of lawsuits involving the agency being satisfied.
“Over eight years, the number of appeals to Rospotrebnadzor on issues of remote sales has increased almost fivefold. At the same time, the increase in appeals cannot be automatically interpreted as a proportional increase in violations: the market itself has grown, as well as the number of transactions and the awareness of citizens. The state’s task is to ensure protection at every stage of the digital transaction: to provide the opportunity to verify the seller and the product, to make the conditions clear, to prevent the sale of dangerous products, and to ensure an effective mechanism for restoring rights,” said Anna Popova.
In summary, the head of Rospotrebnadzor noted that three key areas of development in consumer rights protection can be identified: cross-border cooperation to restore violated rights, prevention of violations through digital technologies, and increased transparency of algorithms and digital practices. Their comprehensive development will allow uniting national measures, modern tools, and international cooperation.
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