Blogger Yelena Blinovskaya, who organized “wish marathons”, was arrested at the border with Belarus. She became a defendant in a tax evasion case in the amount of more than 918 million rubles. In March, investigators suspected other bloggers who made money from such practices, Valeria Chekalina and Alexandra Mitroshina, of similar illegal actions. The sale of all kinds of workshops, courses and training for personal growth, in which they were engaged, was popularly nicknamed “infogypsy”, but such a negative rating does not prevent bloggers from earning millions on them. Ekaterina Smirnova, partner at law firm D&A Partners, told Russian media why so many people are willing to pay for training to be successful and whether it is necessary to fight this, as well as what the state expects from bloggers .
How did “infogypsy” appear?
We live in an age where the internet determines every business model. From the start of its rapid development in the late 90s and until 2000, the world existed in the age of Web 1.0. To briefly describe this period, people thought then that any business that sells anything online should invest. If a company has registered a website on the Internet and is engaged in online commerce, then it is already – no more and no less – Klondike.
Thus, it is precisely these Internet companies that can be called the first “infogypsies”: many of them, in addition to the site, had nothing – neither a business plan nor financial statements. This is why the “dot-com” bubble (since .com) burst in 2000.
After that came the era of Web 2.0, when each of us had access to the Internet. Now we can not only consume, but also create content, declaring ourselves an expert in everything. The reduction of barriers to access to information, to the creation and dissemination of content, has greatly devalued expertise. Thus “infogypsie” was born as a phenomenon: when you understand that the main thing is to sell with confidence. And what to sell is the second question.
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Whether or not these people have a degree in psychotherapy and special education, many of them consult in the area of personal relationships and personal growth, run the same “wish marathons” and turn to “wishful thinking” .
Why infogypsies attract so many followers
Unfortunately, “infogypsies” usually promote their brand through very sensitive questions, appealing to the most vulnerable segments of the population. For example, one of our clients, who in everyday life runs a large company, confided to me that when she gave birth to a child, her consciousness literally went blank. She started buying endless online maternity courses because they answered her fear of being a bad mother. It is manipulation by fear – the fear of loneliness, poverty, unemployment, etc. – which is often the basis of the “infogypsy” activity.
“Magic thinking” is in the same category. People talking about it, again, are appealing to human weaknesses, promising that your desire will be granted, if only you want it “right”.
At the same time, I have a double attitude towards these “info-Gypsy experts”: these people themselves are victims of society, without ceasing to be criminals.
They are intruders because, first, a suitably grown, adult businessman must understand what he is selling. Second, honestly admit if what he’s selling is in his area of expertise. And, finally, realize that if you take money from people, you cannot live exclusively in a fictional virtual world where no one pays taxes and wages to employees. Because you don’t produce goods by machine, your Internet content doesn’t cease to be a commodity, and you don’t become a “man of the world” for the state without civic obligations.
Why do I see these people as victims of modern society? Mainly because the rapid development of digital platforms has devalued knowledge, giving rise to billions of armchair experts. Many buyers of courses on the Internet turn off their critical thinking completely and do not even think about what and from whom they are learning. And finally, the general trend generated by social networks is “the main thing is to appear, not to be”. “Infogypsies” just decided to make money on it, so it’s hard to blame them only for people’s willingness to pay such “experts”.
And another important thing is the network effect, a feature of digital business that drives rapid consumer growth. This often works unnoticed by bloggers themselves. Because of this, a thousand listeners can suddenly turn into 10 million, and the corporate structure is not ready for such growth.
How legal are these practices?
The Criminal Code protects citizens against fraud. You cannot sell, for example, tin under the guise of gold, deceiving the consumer about the properties of the commodity. But if you are offered to believe that a wallet of a certain color attracts money, then no one is misleading you. They sell you a course on “magical thinking”, and its content corresponds to that declared.
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The next legal restriction to consider is the requirement for an educational license. But after all, according to the results of courses on the Internet, people do not receive diplomas that they have become qualified specialists in attracting money or certified magicians. Thus, “infogypsies” generally do not operate in the environment of educational services.
Do I need additional control from the state in this case?
While I am in favor of professionalism in digital marketplaces, I am opposed to the state regulating what courses can and cannot be sold; determined what content could and could not be streamed. Of course, unless it is illegal content, for example, containing calls for hostility and ethnic hatred.
It should be understood that any such restriction by the state will be a fancy tool to restrict free speech (if there is still where to restrict it). How to distinguish the measures of “psychological protection” of citizens from the ban on having an alternative, unpopular point of view in power?
In general, the paternalistic approach of the state gives rise, on the whole, to “infotsiganes”. Suppose the motherland says: I will protect you as a citizen from harmful content, from “divorce” on the Internet. It’s as if I couldn’t decide for myself if I signed up for the “marathon of desires” or not. After all, I am able to activate my critical thinking function, being a sane adult.
When the state poses as a father figure who will take care of everything, it implicitly invites you to turn off critical independent thinking.
And instead of the analytical mind, nothing more than “magical thinking” is activated, and the person will enroll in the “wish-fulfillment marathon”.
Why the state suddenly took over bloggers
Blogger Elena Blinovskaya gets out of the car near the Investigative Committee building, Moscow, Russia Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation / TASS
It is likely that it is simply necessary to replenish the budget with taxes. The amount of tax claims filed is simply incredible, we are talking about billions.
In addition, I see certain campaigns, because the files are initiated one by one. What was the reason for this campaign – maybe one of the employees of the relevant authorities went through a “marathon of desires” and figured out how to carry out the plan and receive a bonus. Or, on the contrary, did not succeed and decided that it was time to close this shop.
But in general, the interest in bloggers is in line with the general trend of state interest in the digital sector, as it is now becoming the basis of any economy. Each tries to strike a balance in their regulation, and each jurisdiction seeks it in a different way. The Russian state does this through such a campaign to remind citizens to pay taxes. So it’s a 100% signal for the whole market to move from the gray area to the white area.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the opinion of the editors
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