Duma approves ban on sales of phones without local soft in 1st read

MOSCOW, Nov 5 (PRIME) -- Russia’s State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, approved on Tuesday the first reading of a bill seeking to ban sales of smartphones, computers, and smart TV sets without pre-installed local software and to impose fines for violations.

The document, filed by a group of deputies, seeks to oblige retailers to install local software on certain types of technically sophisticated goods before selling them from July 1, 2020.

The government will set a list of such goods and software as well as the order of installation.

To become law, the bill must be approved in two more readings by the State Duma and in one reading by the Federation Council, the parliament’s upper house, before being signed by the president.

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