Ukraine’s pornography laws face renewed scrutiny as a decriminalization petition gains traction with over 25,000 signatures, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to respond. The petition, led by OnlyFans model Svetlana Dvornikova, has pushed the government to reconsider its strict definitions of pornography, which currently criminalize even the storage of nude photos. The debate underscores a broader tension between legal frameworks, economic realities, and personal freedoms in the nation.
Dvornikova, who has paid over $958,000 in taxes to the state, argues that the government’s actions contradict its financial interests, as content creators on platforms like OnlyFans legally report their income and pay taxes. Despite these contributions, legal actions have been taken against some creators, sparking calls for reform. The issue has seen legislative momentum with a bill passed by the parliamentary law enforcement committee in December 2024, though it has yet to be voted on.
Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who has spearheaded proposals to liberalize pornography laws, estimated that between 2020 and 2022, around 5,000 Ukrainians earned $123 million through OnlyFans. He emphasized that legalizing consensual adult content could redirect resources from enforcement to public safety. "Porn today is mostly online platforms, and those who earn on these platforms officially pay taxes. That’s millions of dollars going to the armed forces," Zhelezniak stated in a recent YouTube video.
While the bill to decriminalize pornography proposes limited changes, it would still criminalize non-consensual content such as revenge porn, deepfake porn, and child pornography. This distinction aims to balance personal freedoms with societal concerns. However, Zelensky’s previous resistance to similar petitions, which cited ‘public morality,’ raises questions about how the government will respond to this latest push. As the debate continues, the issue reflects a complex interplay between legal, economic, and moral considerations in Ukraine.