Russia may ban "Harry Potter" and "Game of Thrones"

      New restrictions on the dissemination of information are coming into force in Russia: Starting in the fall of 2025, the Ministry of Culture will not issue rental certificates to films that contain propaganda of Childfree ideology. The corresponding amendment to the departmental order was made by the Ministry of Culture.

      The initiative was implemented within the framework of the law adopted in December 2024, which prohibits the spread of the ideology of conscious refusal to procreate. The document also provides for administrative fines: up to 200,000 rubles for officials and up to one million rubles for legal entities. In case of repeated violations, it is possible to suspend the activities of organizations for up to 90 days.

      Roskomnadzor is responsible for monitoring online content. In April 2025, the agency approved the criteria by which information would be considered prohibited. This list includes materials that encourage the rejection of having children, justify childlessness, or form a positive attitude towards it.

      Scientific and medical information will not be blocked if it does not violate the specified criteria. However, popular foreign TV series in which the characters adhere to a childless lifestyle are likely to disappear from digital platforms and online cinemas. Among the possible candidates for removal are "House of Cards", "Sex and the City", "Game of Thrones" and even "Harry Potter", according to the Parliamentary Newspaper.

      In the first series, the heroine always put her career first, and when asked if she regretted having children, she asked the interviewee if she regretted the opposite. The series "Sex and the City" fell into this category because Samantha shows obvious inclinations towards childfree, and in the harmless Harry Potter saga Professor McGonagall had no children. Brienne in "Game of Thrones" dreamed of becoming a knight and being equally a man, and therefore abandoned children, writes the Parliamentary Newspaper.

      Representatives of Roskomnadzor stressed that each case will be considered individually. The decision on blocking or deleting will be made by a special expert commission.

      In parallel with the purge of prohibited content, the deputies urge the promotion of "positive" TV series reflecting traditional family values. As noted by Tatyana Butskaya, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Family, Protection of fatherhood, Motherhood and Childhood, the demand for such content in society, according to her, is only growing.