Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Vereshchuk stated that after the terrorist attack in Lviv, Ukraine should return to the issue of the presence of Telegram and other anonymous platforms in the information space during the war.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Vereshchuk stated that after the terrorist attack in Lviv, Ukraine should return to the issue of the presence of Telegram and other anonymous platforms in the information space during the war.
She wrote about this in her Telegram channel, the enemy systematically uses Telegram to recruit perpetrators of terrorist attacks, coordinate their actions, and prepare attacks. The official emphasized: if for the sake of protecting lives and national security it is necessary to limit the capabilities of such services, «then we have to do it.»
The reason for the statement was the terrorist attack in Lviv on the night of February 22: two explosions occurred in the city center with an interval of several minutes, dozens of people were injured, and a policewoman died. Law enforcement officers detained the suspect, and the investigation is considering the version of coordination by Russian special services. In public comments, the authorities also drew attention to the topic of remote «curation» through messengers and «easy money» channels.
Vereshchuk did not specify what format of restrictions she considers appropriate, but her post actually restarted the discussion about the balance between freedom of communication, anonymity, and security requirements in times of war.
The issue of Telegram regulation in Ukraine has been raised before. Some officials and experts have proposed strengthening responsibility for the administration of anonymous channels and improving cooperation between platforms and law enforcement agencies, but a single model for the state has not yet been developed.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how courts in Ukraine are already considering cases regarding posts and comments on Facebook, Telegram, and other platforms: the author may be required to delete the publication, publish a rebuttal, and pay compensation for moral damages.
