The Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Humanitarian and Information Policy, MP from "Servant of the People" Mykyta Poturaev stated that there are no resources in Ukraine to effectively regulate the Telegram messenger and there will not be in the near future.
"We do not have and will not have the ability to control such platforms. This applies to all social networks. If we do not respond to these threats, we may lose the country," Poturaev said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
He emphasized that while it is technically possible to shut down such platforms, it would be very expensive for everyone who uses them. Poturaev believes that the situation with Telegram is a serious mistake, because the majority of the population uses this platform, which is not subject to moderation and has ties to Russia. "We cannot win the information war, let alone the war in general, until a bill is passed that will require the platforms to either establish a dialogue with the Ukrainian state or close them," he added.
Earlier, the head of the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting Olga Gerasimyuk expressed her position on the need to regulate Telegram in Ukraine. She commented on the recent blocking of bots by Ukrainian intelligence services, noting that Ukraine is working with European partners to include the messenger in the list of digital platforms subject to regulation. "In such cases, platforms can be fined or blocked for violating the law, as is the case with other companies on this list," Gerasimyuk explained.
