Russia Launches Unified Service to Verify Marketplace Product Listings
All information about a product will be available in one place, and product checks are expected to become automated over time.
Russian online marketplaces have gained access to a Unified Digital Service that checks product listings against mandatory requirements. The Russian government signed the relevant resolution on October 9. In 90 days, use of the service, developed by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media on the basis of the Unified System of Regulatory Reference Information (ESNSI), is set to become mandatory.
The service will let users retrieve the required product information through a single point of access. It currently contains data on medicines registered in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), pesticides and agrochemicals, accreditation systems, and the circulation of precious metals. Other government registries are expected to be connected, including Rospatent (Federal Service for Intellectual Property).
In effect, the initiative creates a unified digital mechanism linking state information systems with commercial platforms, automating e-commerce oversight. This is expected to make shopping on marketplaces safer by helping identify products that lack proper documentation or registration more quickly.
AI to Detect Counterfeit Goods
Connecting additional state information systems is not the only change expected in the near future. The range of product categories subject to automated checks is also expected to expand. Intelligent analysis tools are planned as well: these systems could flag suspicious product listings, discrepancies between product descriptions and registry records, and signs of counterfeiting. Over time, these capabilities could shift oversight from detecting violations after the fact to preventive checks, screening products before they appear on marketplaces.
If these technologies prove successful, some of their components – including government-data integration platforms, automated product verification systems, and digital labeling technologies – could find demand in international markets. This may be particularly relevant in countries where e-commerce is growing and counterfeit goods remain a concern.
Chestny Znak and Fair Trade
In 2023, Russian marketplaces were required to submit data to Chestny Znak (Honest Sign), the government’s product-tracking system. The move was one of the first large-scale examples of integrating commercial platforms with state information systems. That same year, Chestny Znak was used to verify product authenticity on Yandex Market and at the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies. The checks were based on complaints submitted through the system. Meanwhile, Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) began monitoring compliance with labeling requirements and whether sellers submitted the required information to Chestny Znak.
In 2026, Rosakkreditatsiya (Federal Service for Accreditation) launched a service that allows marketplaces to check information about certificates and declarations of conformity through an API. This made it possible to cross-check product information against government registries automatically. Russia’s largest marketplaces, Ozon and Wildberries, have also agreed with the operator of Chestny Znak to develop preventive checks of product documentation and origin when listings are created.
Regulation and the Product Digital Passport
The shift from separate checks across disconnected state information systems to unified digital interaction is one of the major current trends in relations between government and business. Over time, such approaches could lay the groundwork for a digital passport of a product.
We see this as an effective and timely approach to platform architecture, government-data integration, and services built around API-based interactions. In the future, such mechanisms are expected to extend to additional product categories and could become a key element in regulating Russia’s e-commerce market.
