What is ad labeling?
The labeling process involves adding the «Ad» label, the advertiser’s name, and a unique token containing the advertiser’s data to each advertisement, as well as submitting reports to ERIR, the Unified Register of Online Advertising.
Labeling obligations apply to advertisers, ad distributors, and advertising system operators. These include:
- Vendors and manufacturers who advertise their products online.
- Owners of websites, channels, social media communities, and online publications, as well as bloggers who post ads on their platforms.
- Freelancers and companies that provide ad setup and placement services.
The advertising law applies to any materials with a promotional nature, meaning content that draws attention to a product among an unspecified audience. This includes banners, posts, videos, contextual ads, and other materials featuring advertising integrations.
Labeling does not apply to:
- Email newsletters
- Push notifications
- Online ads distributed before September 1, 2022
- Offline advertising
- Recordings of radio or TV broadcasts with unaltered ads
Even if your business is registered outside Russia, if you target the Russian market, you are still required to label your ads.
What are the penalties for not labeling ads?
Advertisers can receive fines for non-compliance with the requirements of the labeling law:
| Offense | Fine |
|---|---|
| Failure to include the «Ad» label or identify the end advertiser in the advertisement. | For individuals: from ₽2000 to ₽2500 For officials: from ₽4000 to ₽20,000 For legal entities: from ₽100,000 to ₽500,000 |
| Absence of a token in the advertisement | For individuals: from ₽30,000 to ₽100,000 For officials: from ₽100,000 to ₽200,000 For legal entities: from ₽200,000 to ₽500,000 |
| Failure to submit or incorrect submission of reports on distributed advertising to ERIR via an advertising data operator. | For individuals: from ₽10,000 to ₽30,000 For officials: from ₽30,000 to ₽100,000 For legal entities: from ₽200,000 to ₽500,000 |
What are ERIR and the advertising data operator?
The ERIR (Unified Register of Online Ads) is maintained by Roskomnadzor to track and monitor online advertising. Data cannot be submitted to the register directly; this is managed by specialized organizations called advertising data operators.
Currently, there are seven accredited operators. One such company is the Yandex advertising data operator.
What is a token and how do I get one?
A token is a unique alphanumeric string used to track advertising information. In other words, it's a distinct combination of letters and digits for labeling your ad creative. You must obtain the token before starting your campaign and include it in the ad creative.
When launching a campaign through Yandex Direct, the token is generated automatically.
When you launch your ads in Yandex Direct, the service handles obtaining the token from the advertising data operator on your behalf.
What should the label look like?
Simply adding the "Ad" label to the creative does not mean it is properly labeled. Proper labeling must include:
- The word "Ad".
- A token, either embedded in a link or displayed as text on the creative.
- Information about the advertiser, or a link to a website containing this information.
Key points about labeling
- All online advertisements targeting users in Russia must now be labeled. You must register the ad with an advertising data operator, assign it an ID, specify the advertiser, include the "Ad" label, and report on its performance metrics after launch.
- All information about your ad placements must be submitted to ERIR through an advertising data operator. ERIR will store this information for five years. You cannot submit the data directly; it must be handled by advertising data operators.
- There are seven accredited advertising data operators on the market. Each company sets its own rates, but some offer services for free. For example, the Yandex advertising data operator currently provides its services free of charge.
- If an ad creative is not properly labeled, all parties involved in placing the ad may be held liable. An exception applies if the advertiser has contractually transferred the labeling obligations to the ad distributor or the advertising system operator.
