Experts believe that state is the biggest threat to the freedom of speech on the internet

In Ukraine there are four threats to freedom of speech on the internet. One of the main threats is the state. Such an opinion was expressed on the Day of freedom of speech on the internet by the Internet Association of Ukraine (InAU).

According to the press service of InAU, today in our country the main threats to freedom of speech on the internet are:

Firstly, the periodic state-driven attempts to consolidate content filtering at the level of laws and regulations, to impose this responsibility on internet service providers,
Secondly, the continuous monitoring of the Ukrainian segment of the Internet,
Furthermore, freedom of speech on the Internet is also threatened by attempts to introduce compulsory registration of Internet media,
And the fourth threat is the lack of a legislative solution to the issue of granting citizens the full and complete information about the activities of state bodies.

According to the InAU, legendary bills #3271 (the notorious " 404 Law ") and #1340 became vivid demonstration of the willingness of the State to impose total control over the Ukrainian segment of the Internet.

First, under the pretext of combating child pornography actually obliged providers to monitor their users, and the second because of the inaccuracy of formulations provided opportunities for abuse of power by officials. However, thanks to the InAU intervention, the majority of "404 Law” rules, that were contradictory to the Constitution of Ukraine, the European practice and common sense have been removed, and the bill #1340 was declined as a whole by the parliament.

Also in the InAU recalled the attempts of the National Expert Commission for the Protection of Public Morals (NEC) to introduce compulsory registration of Internet media. The necessity of this norm was argued to be driven by the fact that for the courts it would be easier to punish "indecent" sites. Today, NEC is preparing a new bill, which provides for total control by the commission of all the products of an erotic nature (audio, film, video, etc.) and legitimize censorship by the NEC, which is contrary to Article 15 of the Constitution.

InAU people believe that under the cover of fighting "pornographic mills” state escapes engaging in what is really necessary for the development of democracy in Ukraine. First and foremost is the introduction of "electronic government" technology which would enable all citizens to not only monitor and participate in any legislative initiative of the state, but would also greatly simplify the work of the bureaucratic machine that will reduce corruption and bribery in the country.