Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Ukraine’s Parliament Weighs Pornography Decriminalization Amid Wartime Funding Needs
Ukraine is considering changing its laws about pornography made by consenting adults.
Right now, making or sharing pornography can lead to criminal charges and prison.
Many creators still earn money online, including through OnlyFans, but their work remains largely underground.
Supporters say the government could tax this existing business instead of treating creators as criminals.
They estimate the change could raise about $25 million.
Ukraine needs more money because its war with Russia is expensive.
Critics worry the proposal could harm society or increase exploitation.
The bill passed its first vote but still needs a second reading.
It would not legalize child pornography or sexual abuse material.
Ukraine’s parliament passed the bill’s first reading in July by 231 votes to eight, with three abstentions.
The proposal would decriminalize producing and distributing pornography involving consenting adults, but not child pornography or sexual abuse material.
Supporters say formalizing the industry could protect creators and raise about $25 million in tax revenue for wartime needs.
Nearly 8,000 Ukrainian OnlyFans creators reportedly earned more than $131 million through the platform in 2023.
Critics, including Yulia Tymoshenko and the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches, warn of moral harm, exploitation and child-safety risks.
- Who
- Ukrainian lawmakers, including Yaroslav Zhelezniak, are considering the bill; supporters and critics include adult-content representatives, Yulia Tymoshenko and the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches.
- What
- A bill would decriminalize the production and distribution of pornography involving consenting adults while retaining prohibitions on child pornography and sexual abuse material.
- When
- The bill passed its first reading in July and is awaiting a second reading; the articles do not specify the year.
- Where
- Ukraine, including its parliament and adult-content industry.
- Why
- Lawmakers say formalizing and taxing an existing industry could provide revenue during the country’s wartime financial crisis and reduce criminal exposure for creators.
Supporters of Decriminalization
Critics of Decriminalization
Taxation and wartime funding
Supporters of Decriminalization
Supporters argue that taxing an existing adult-content industry could raise about $25 million for Ukraine’s war effort and bring shadow-economy earnings into the formal economy.
Critics of Decriminalization
Critics oppose the bill’s broader social consequences and do not accept that increased revenue justifies potential moral and health harms.
Treatment of creators
Supporters of Decriminalization
Supporters say creators should be treated as taxpayers rather than criminals, noting that they can currently face criminal charges whether they avoid taxes or report their income.
Critics of Decriminalization
Critics emphasize risks of exploitation and argue that legal recognition could encourage the expansion of the adult-content industry.
Social and child-safety concerns
Supporters of Decriminalization
Backers stress that the proposal covers only pornography involving consenting adults and excludes child pornography and sexual abuse material.
Critics of Decriminalization
Yulia Tymoshenko warned that Ukraine could become a “pornographic hub,” while the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches cited concerns about morality, health and child abuse.
- Current law
- Article 301 of Ukraine’s criminal code prohibits pornography and allows penalties of up to seven years in prison.
- First-reading vote
- The bill passed by 231 votes to eight, with three abstentions.
- Estimated tax revenue
- Supporters expect roughly $25 million in additional revenue.
- OnlyFans creators
- Nearly 8,000 Ukrainian creators reportedly earned more than $131 million through OnlyFans in 2023.
- War funding gap
- President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine faced a $27 billion military funding gap.
- Daily war cost
- Ukrainian officials told Reuters that the war cost about $190 million a day in 2026, compared with $140 million in 2024.
- Legal scope
- The proposal concerns consenting adults and does not legalize child pornography or sexual abuse material.