The Verkhovna Rada supported the decriminalization of porn in Ukraine in the first reading

The Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading a bill to decriminalize porn and increase responsibility for the production and distribution of child pornography.

This became known from the broadcast of the parliament session.

231 MPs voted for bill No. 15294 out of the required 226. Another 8 MPs voted against, and three abstained.

The bill provides for the decriminalization of the production, storage, transportation, sending, sale, and distribution of pornographic materials among adults. At the same time, it strengthens criminal liability for crimes related to child pornography, its distribution among minors, as well as for pimping, soliciting, and organizing the sexual exploitation of children.

This was the deputiesʼ third attempt to pass a bill to decriminalize porn; the other two failed to pass.

The head of the Verkhovna Rada Finance Committee Danylo Hetmantsev wrote that thanks to the decriminalization of porn, the state could receive almost a billion hryvnias in taxes per year. For example, the “OnlyFans” platform paid $1.6 million in taxes to the Ukrainian budget in 2025 — 18% more than in 2024. This is despite the fact that pornography is not legalized.

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