The Parliamentary Committee on Digital Transformation recommended on October 21 that the Verkhovna Rada adopt Bill No. 13505 in its first reading. This document prohibits the use and distribution of software and technologies that pose a threat to Ukraine's national security. This was reported by the press service of the Verkhovna Rada.
As stated in the explanatory note, during the hybrid war, Ukraine needs legal protection against "hostile digital tools" that may be used for cyberattacks or data collection.
The authors emphasize that the current legislation lacks a clear mechanism for classifying software that poses a threat to national security. They believe this complicates the timely removal of such software from circulation and creates additional risks for Ukraine's national security.
Thus, the bill proposes the creation of an official list of prohibited software products. The State Special Communications Service will maintain this list, and proposals can be submitted by the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Bank of Ukraine.
Which IT products might be included on the prohibited list:
- are owned or created by an aggressor country;
- have owners associated with "hostile" states;
- are used for data collection or transmission that threatens Ukraine's security;
- are included in the sanctions lists of other countries or international organizations.
Who will be affected by the ban
If adopted, the law will take effect six months after publication. The ban will apply to government institutions, critical infrastructure, the defense sector, and payment systems, and it includes a phased removal of such software by January 1, 2030. Violations will incur fines of 2% of the total annual turnover of the business entity.
Exceptions will only apply to intelligence agencies, which may be permitted to use such software for special tasks.
The initiators of the document stress that this bill is an attempt to "systematically close the door to hostile technologies" that could be tools for influencing or attacking Ukrainian state institutions.
