Olena Ivanovska, the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, believes that the Telegram messenger should be blocked in Ukraine. In her opinion, this will help reduce the influence of Russian-language and hostile content that is actively spreading among Ukrainian teenagers. The ombudsman said this in an interview with Radio Liberty.
According to her, it is not only about the security of the information space, but also about the strategic future of the state. Ivanovska is convinced that without consistent blocking of the channels of distribution of Russian narratives, it will be difficult for Ukraine to maintain its own cultural and linguistic independence.
" This needs to be done, as it seems to me. If we think about tomorrow, if we think about a Ukrainian Ukraine... there will be no Ukraine here if we do not start consistently blocking the channels for the spread of hostile narratives and propaganda ," she emphasized.
Despite calls for a lockdown, public sentiment is not so clear. According to a study by Internews, in 2024, 72% of Ukrainians used Telegram to read news, making the messenger one of the key channels of information.
However, a survey last year by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) showed that only 9% of Ukrainians support a complete ban on Telegram. Instead, about 54% support partial restrictions, including blocking individual channels, rather than the entire platform.
Discussions about the possibility of blocking Telegram are also ongoing at the state level. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine previously stated that the messenger poses risks to national security, so it is necessary to find a solution that would minimize potential threats.
There are no final decisions yet, but the statement of the language ombudsman may intensify the discussion around the future of Telegram in Ukraine.
