Russia: Announced investigation into Yandex for advertising student writing services

On 14 February 2024, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) initiated proceedings against Yandex, a search service provider, for distributing inappropriate advertising. The case was triggered by an advertisement for the 'Work 5' service, which offers services for writing essays and term papers, which are prohibited by law. The FAS took action following an anonymous complaint. If the FAS determines that there are violations, Yandex may face administrative penalties under the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. The potential fines for legal entities range from RUB 100'000 to 500'000.