Websites will be prohibited from automatically charging subscription fees

The Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments to the law "On Consumer Rights Protection", which will protect people from unauthorized charges when paying for online subscriptions. The relevant bill was approved by the government commission on legislative activity, sources told Izvestia.

"In this way, legislators seek to regulate relations related to periodic payments for services provided on the basis of a subscription agreement in the so-called "network space." In particular, it is important that a ban is imposed on the withdrawal of money by the contractor from bank accounts or electronic means of payment of the consumer, in respect of which the consumer has expressed to the contractor a refusal to use them in settlements," said Daniil Chernykh—Aipov, lawyer, Deputy Chairman of the Sulim and Partners Bar Association.

This means that if a consumer has deleted a bank card from their personal account or the service's application, the company has no right to continue debiting funds from it.

"These changes establish a clear legal mechanism for protection against unauthorized write-offs, and thus the consumer will be protected from such write-offs more transparently and strongly enough. This is especially true in the context of the development of digital platforms and subscription services, where cases of continued debits, even after the user has deleted the card from the system, have become very frequent and very annoying," the expert added.

In addition, the consumer will be able to ban the use of previously provided data and select the main and only account for payment. And sellers will have to ensure that such a ban is possible.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Payment misinformation: websites will be prohibited from automatically charging subscription fees