Chinese Xiaomi systematically violates Russian advertising laws by unauthorizedly displaying misleading ads to users of its smartphones and often redirecting them to phishing sites. This is stated in the appeal of the Association of Professional Users of Social Networks and Messengers (APPSIM). Izvestia got acquainted with the document.
The FAS received a complaint, it will be considered in the prescribed manner, the department said.
In its letter, APPSIM asks Xiaomi to send an appeal to prevent the display of ads that violate applicable law, and, if this practice continues, to block the Internet resources and applications (Xiaomi Ads advertising network) through which this content is distributed.
For example, Xiaomi Ads shows users such ads: “The President ordered Gazprom to pay from 45 thousand to each,” said Vladimir Zykov, director of APPSIM. This is a fake that discredits the head of state and misleads users, APPSIM believes.
If we talk about the likely consequences for Xiaomi in a particular case, then, most likely, for the first time the company will receive a warning from the FAS. It will contain instructions on the need to block messages that violate the law, says Yury Fedyukin, managing partner at Enterprise Legal Solutions.
“If such violations continue, then penalties are already possible. But for violations in the field of advertising, insignificant, by the standards of large private market players, fines are set – from 100 thousand to 500 thousand rubles. Moreover, according to the upper limit, they are assigned only if the service operator allows this on a regular basis, ”explains the lawyer.
The responsibility of advertisers will depend on the qualification of their actions – it may even be criminal, adds Yuri Fedyukin.
Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:
Demonstrative kurtosis: FAS is asked to check ads in Xiaomi smartphones
