Ukraine parliament going to regulate Telegram messenger. Other platforms will joined to the law

A group of people’s deputies registered a new bill No. 11115 in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which is aimed at regulating the Telegram messenger.

The authors of the bill are people’s deputies from different factions – from “European Solidarity” Nikolai Knyazhitsky, Rostislav Pavlenko, Mikhail Bondar, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Irina Friz, Sofia Fedina, from “Servant of the People” – Nikita Poturaev, Lyudmila Marchenko, from “Voice – Yaroslav Yurchishin, Natalya Pipa, from “For the Future” Irina Konstankevich.

The new law was called “Draft Law on Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Regulation of the Activities of Platforms for Sharing Access to Information Through Which Mass Information is Disseminated.”

Although the title mentions “platforms” in the plural, the explanatory note focuses specifically on Telegrams. People’s deputies plan to introduce similar regulations for the Telegram messenger that apply to platforms such as YouTube.

In case of violation of these requirements or the presence of an opaque ownership structure, government and financial institutions will be prohibited from using these platforms.

It will also be prohibited to install software from these providers on service devices.

If the bill is passed, information sharing platforms will be required to:

• post the terms of use and prohibit the dissemination of information that violates the law of Ukraine;
• provide the opportunity for users to leave complaints and consider such requests;
• limit the distribution of illegal content at the request of the National Council;
• inform the National Council about the ownership structure and sources of financing at its request;
• do not process children’s personal data for commercial purposes;
• ensure the presence of a platform representative in Ukraine or the EU.