**Ukraine’s Zelensky Faces Petition to Decriminalize Pornography**
A significant milestone has been reached in Ukraine as a petition to decriminalize pornography has gathered the required 25,000 signatures on the official government petitions website. This development comes as no surprise given the growing trend of adult content creators using platforms like OnlyFans to earn a living.
**Taxes and the Law**
It’s worth noting that despite being illegal, models on subscription-based sites like OnlyFans are still required to declare their income and pay taxes. In fact, data suggests that in January 2025, Ukraine’s OnlyFans content creators declared more than $7 million in income, with a significant portion of that going towards personal income and military taxes.
**A Shift in Public Opinion?**
The petition was created by Ukrainian OnlyFans model Svetlana Dvornikova, who argued that law enforcement should focus on real crimes rather than targeting individuals for creating intimate content. Her words are particularly poignant given the fact that she has paid over Hr 40 million (approximately $958,062) in taxes to the state over the past five years.
**MPs Take a Stand**
Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who has initiated bills to legalize pornography, has calculated that from 2020 to 2022, 5,000 Ukrainians earned $123 million on OnlyFans. He argues that this is a significant source of revenue for the state and that it’s time to rethink the country’s laws surrounding adult content.
**A Bill in Waiting**
In November 2024, a bill was registered to legalize pornography, with the law enforcement committee supporting it in December. However, the bill has yet to be brought to a vote. The proposed legislation would decriminalize only the creation and storage of pornographic content by consenting adults, while still maintaining criminal liability for revenge porn, deepfake porn, extreme porn, child pornography, and distribution to minors.
**A Changing Landscape?**
As the petition gains momentum, it’s clear that public opinion is shifting. In July 2022, a similar petition reached the required number of signatures, but it didn’t lead to changes. This time around, President Zelensky will have no choice but to respond to the growing demand for reform.
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