The Russian government has approved draft amendments that would impose significant fines on digital marketplaces for exerting price pressure on independent sellers, marking a sharp escalation in the state’s effort to regulate the platform economy. Viewed from Moscow, the move reflects growing official concern that dominant e-commerce players are squeezing small businesses by unilaterally discounting goods and forcing sellers to absorb the cost. Under the proposals, platforms could face penalties of up to 400,000 roubles for such practices, while more severe infractions—including restricting a seller’s access to their account or systematically delaying complaint reviews beyond 15 days—would attract fines of up to 500,000 roubles. Minor technical violations would carry lower sanctions, starting at 20,000 roubles. The amendments, drafted by the Ministry of Economic Development, also oblige marketplaces to provide sellers with a mechanism to block price reductions made at the seller’s expense.

In a parallel legal development, Russia’s Constitutional Court has clarified the liability of online platforms for counterfeit goods sold by third parties. The ruling, prompted by a dispute involving a board-game producer that discovered fake versions of its products on Wildberries, establishes that offering ancillary services such as payment processing and advertising does not automatically strip a marketplace of its status as an information intermediary. However, the court stressed that to avoid sanctions, platforms must act “effectively and promptly” to stop infringements once they are made aware of them. This nuanced judgment, analysts in Moscow note, reinforces the principle that marketplaces cannot claim passive neutrality while profiting from the full transaction chain, yet it stops short of imposing strict liability, preserving a degree of legal shelter if they police their listings diligently.

A different regulatory philosophy is on display in Italy, where the focus has shifted to lowering barriers for small digital payments. Banking and payment service associations have reached an agreement with retailer groups to encourage significantly competitive offers on transaction fees for purchases below 30 euros, with particular emphasis on payments under 10 euros. The initiative, reported from Rome, aims to address a persistent friction in Southern Europe’s retail landscape: merchants often resist electronic payments for low-value items because commissions can erode already thin margins. By nudging the market toward cheaper micro-transaction rates, Italian authorities hope to accelerate the shift away from cash without resorting to punitive measures against platforms or acquirers.

Taken together, these developments illustrate a continent grappling with the same underlying tension—how to balance the efficiencies of digital platforms against the need to protect smaller market participants—but arriving at markedly different remedies. In Russia, the approach is increasingly prescriptive and penal, with the state setting red lines around platform behaviour and backing them with substantial fines. The Italian model, by contrast, relies on brokered commitments and competitive pressure within the payments industry, reflecting both the European Union’s broader regulatory framework and a cultural preference for consensus over confrontation. Analysts in London note that while Moscow’s heavy-handed tactics may offer swift deterrence, they risk stifling the very marketplace innovation that has lowered consumer prices; Rome’s path, though slower, could prove more sustainable if banks genuinely deliver cheaper micro-transactions.

Looking ahead, the Russian fines are expected to be codified in law in the coming months, adding to a growing body of platform legislation that already includes content moderation and data localisation requirements. The Italian agreement, meanwhile, will be closely watched by other EU member states where small-value card payments remain contentious. Both cases underscore a broader global trend: as digital intermediaries become indispensable infrastructure, governments are moving from laissez-faire tolerance to active intervention, each calibrating the mix of coercion and cooperation according to its own legal traditions and political pressures.