VK has proposed creating a National News Platform based on the Dzen news aggregator. Its widget is expected to be made mandatory for placement on the main pages of the largest Russian services. Kommersant reports this, citing sources.
According to the newspaper, the relevant bill could be submitted to the State Duma as early as May. Owners of social networks and search services are expected to be required to embed a widget with the top 5 news stories on their main page. Other platforms would be required to place a button linking to Dzen’s top 15 news section.
Services with an active audience of more than five million people would have to install such a widget immediately after the law is passed. Other services would be given a six-month delay.
The Russian government would select the media outlets whose headlines would appear in the embedded widget. It would also appoint the platform operator for five years.
The platform is expected to be monetized through advertising placed on the Dzen website. Services that install the widget would receive 50% of the revenue from displaying such ads. Another 25% of the funds would go directly to media outlets, while 10% would be allocated to the “financing of the activities of the media association.” It is not specified where the remaining funds would go.
VK says the bill is necessary because foreign traffic services have left and audiences have shifted to messengers and platforms “without news.” In its presentation, the company said that over four years, the audience of Russian media outlets declined by 30-70%. At the same time, Dzen provides up to 80% of all referrals to news media websites.
“Media outlets lack the ability to gain audience from growing platforms — classifieds, marketplaces, and audiovisual services. Further stagnation or a decline in Dzen’s audience may lead to the closure of non-state federal media outlets and the possible monopolization of the market by state news agencies TASS, RIA Novosti, and RT,” the VK presentation says.
VK has already been using legislative initiatives to promote its own services in the Russian market. One example cited is the national messenger Max, developed by VK. It was launched in March 2025, after which the company began actively buying advertising from artists, bloggers, and other well-known figures.
On September 1, 2025, Max was added to the list of apps mandatory for pre-installation on phones in Russia. In December last year, the State Duma passed a law requiring management and utility companies to communicate with residents through building chats in Max. In addition, a bill is currently being considered that would require confirmation of actions on the internet through the Max messenger.
At the same time, over recent years, most other popular messengers in Russia, including WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram, have been blocked. The Russian authorities are promoting Max as the only reliable communication tool.