A mandatory National News Platform may appear in Russia based on the "Zen" aggregator (owned by VK) — a bill with new rules for the distribution of news on the Internet is planned to be submitted to the State Duma as early as May. The initiative comes from the VK holding, and key decisions on the selection of media and the appointment of the operator will be made by the government of the Russian Federation.
According to VK's presentation, large platforms — marketplaces, social networks, search engines, and video services with an audience of 5 million people or more — will be required to place a widget with the top 5 news stories from "Zen" on their main page. On other resources, a button-link to the section with the top 15 materials will be sufficient. Monetization is built through banner advertising: half of the revenue from impressions goes to the platform owner, the second half is divided between the media — 50% goes to the publication whose material brought the reader, 10% goes to the media association, and the fate of the remaining 40% is not disclosed in the documents.
The authors of the initiative explain the need for the law by the sharp drop in traffic to federal media: since 2022, the attendance of many publications has decreased by 30–70%, while up to 80% of visits to their sites are already provided by "Zen". Direct traffic to media sites is steadily declining and now averages 6–12%. The presentation warns: without support, the new rules could accelerate the departure of non-state federal publications from the market and strengthen the position of state agencies.
If the bill is adopted, VK predicts a 65% increase in user engagement with media materials and a threefold increase in the reach of large media outlets. This, according to the plan, should stabilize media traffic and support the industry's advertising revenue. "Zen" itself has so far refrained from official comments on the initiative.
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