Russian legislation is preparing for a radical revision of the digital rights of minors. According to announced plans, a complete ban on access to social networks and chatbots based on artificial intelligence for children and adolescents may be introduced in 2027–2028. This initiative, announced at a high level, is positioned as an inevitable step within the global trend of protecting the younger generation.
Global Context and Russian Ambitions
The initiative is based on global practice. Australia pioneered this direction, followed by the European Union, Middle Eastern countries, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and China. Within the EU, there is a diversity of approaches: France aims for a barrier for those under 15, Spain up to 16, and Greece, from January 1, 2027, introduces restrictions for audiences under 15. A pan-European bill, which may affect video games and AI bots, is expected by autumn.
Russia, following this vector, intends not only to copy but also to expand restrictions. The ban may cover not only social networks but also video games and any AI interfaces. The argumentation is standard: excessive time spent online and consumption of short content leads to deterioration of vision, posture, motor skills, and, critically, to the loss of the ability to concentrate on complex information.
Dual Strategy: Ban and Education
Simultaneously with the introduction of restrictions for children under 14, it is proposed to rapidly implement basic lessons on the fundamentals of using AI starting from the age of 14. This logically fits into the already adopted school course of advanced computer science, where the "Artificial Intelligence" profile will appear from September 1, 2026. Thus, the state is trying to build a two-tier system: first, complete isolation from technology, then controlled and measured education.
However, a fundamental contradiction lies here. On the one hand, the authorities are systematically moving towards managing technologies: the State Duma has already approved in the first reading a framework law on AI regulation, dividing models into sovereign and national ones, and the government is scaling up the implementation of smart services in its own apparatus. On the other hand, children are simultaneously being shielded from uncontrolled use of AI and taught to work with a technology around which alarming data is already accumulating.
My analysis: This duality creates a risk that the educational effect will be nullified. If school practice includes "solve it for me" scenarios rather than "give me a hint," then learning could have the opposite effect, exacerbating cognitive dependence. Research already shows that active use of neural networks reduces the ability to solve problems independently, and according to VTsIOM data, about 70% of citizens in Russia use AI. The market and society will have to find a delicate balance between protection and development, and the current model looks more like an experiment than a well-thought-out strategy.