A petition to the Cabinet of Ministers calling for a complete ban on TikTok in Ukraine has gathered 289 of the 25,000 signatures required. The initiative is not subject to mandatory consideration by the government, and as of 25 October, no decision had been taken to block the platform. The result of the vote was reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, citing the Cabinet of Ministers« e-petition platform.
Briefly about the main points
- The initiative to block the platform entirely was supported by 289 people.
- The threshold for mandatory government consideration is 25,000 signatures.
- The author proposed sanctions against ByteDance and a technical block on the service.
- The risks described in the statement reflect the author’s views and do not constitute the findings of an investigation.
- The European Commission is conducting a separate investigation into TikTok regarding the security of minors’ accounts.
What restrictions did the author of the petition propose?
Online petition No. 41/010384-26ep On 23 July, she registered Olga Kostyuk. She called on the government to consider a complete ban on access to TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese technology company ByteDance.
Among the proposed measures is to refer the issue of sanctions against ByteDance to the National Security and Defence Council for consideration, and TikTok. The author also proposed that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the State Special Communications Service be tasked with developing mechanisms to technically block the social media platform.
A separate requirement concerned legislative restrictions on the use of TikTok on work devices belonging to public officials, military personnel and critical infrastructure workers.
What risks were mentioned in the petition?
The author justified the appeal by citing potential threats to information and national security in the event of a full-scale war by Russia against Ukraine. The text referred, in particular, to the risk of Russian propaganda, disinformation and information and psychological operations being disseminated via the platform.
She also highlighted the potential disclosure of sensitive information — such as videos showing the movement of Ukrainian military equipment or air defence operations. The statement raised issues concerning the protection of users’ personal data and the impact of content on children and teenagers.
The arguments set out above reflect the position of the petitioner. They do not constitute the findings of an official investigation into TikTok’s activities in Ukraine.
The European Commission is conducting a separate investigation into the protection of minors on TikTok
On 24 July, the European Commission published its preliminary findings regarding TikTok’s possible failure to comply with the requirements of the EU Digital Services Act concerning the security of minors’ accounts.
The regulator highlighted the possibility of videos featuring children and teenagers being made publicly available, as well as the platform’s recommendation algorithm settings. These findings do not constitute a definitive determination of a breach and are not directly linked to the Ukrainian petition.
