The State Duma has rejected a bill that proposed the prohibition of advertising for “esoteric, spiritual, and energy services”, as well as blocking the funding of these advertisements. Deputy Marina Kim explained that these services are not banned in Russia and that the current Advertising Law is sufficient to combat deceptive advertising, according to The Moscow Times. Official data shows that although Russians’ interest in the services of witches, numerologists, and palmists has decreased, sales for evil eye talismans and other amulets have increased.
The initiators of the bill, introduced in the State Duma at the beginning of 2025, explained that the regulatory act would aim to protect society from the “negative influence of individuals who offer various esoteric services”, including witches, astrologers, magicians, spiritual mentors, digital psychologists, esoteric coaches, numerologists, runologists, tarot readers, palmists, and others.
The Information Policy Committee of the State Duma rejected the bill on Wednesday. These services are not illegal in Russia, and the bill does not contain a definition of “occult-magical services,” explained deputy Marina Kim.
Also, the authors have not established clear criteria for classifying certain activities in this category, nor have they explained the mechanisms for blocking websites that promote the services of wizards and witches. “Consequently, the title of the bill does not fully reflect its content,” the parliamentarian emphasized.
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