Ukraine considers illegalizing pornography production to raise money for war

KIEV: Ukraine is reportedly considering legalizing the production and distribution of pornographic content to raise funds for its war against Russia. The Wall Street Journal revealed the news about it. A bill introduced by Ukrainian parliamentarian Yaroslav Zhelezniak reportedly states that incorporating the adult entertainment industry into the country’s economy could generate up to $25 million in additional tax revenue.

Zhelezniak, who also chairs the parliamentary finance committee, says the money could be used to purchase 30,000 military drones. At present, the production and distribution of pornographic content is illegal in Ukraine and can carry a prison sentence of up to seven years. However, pornographic content is reportedly being produced in the country with the alleged support of some police officers.

Ukraine recently began taking steps to collect taxes from adult content creators. However, many creators were reluctant to declare their earnings because doing so could expose them to prosecution under laws prohibiting pornographic content.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office recently discovered that three regional officials had allegedly accepted nearly $20,000 in bribes to conceal the production of pornographic content. Data from Phoenix International reportedly shows that around 7,900 people in Ukraine earned more than $131 million through OnlyFans in 2023. Attempts to tax such income have created a new legal dilemma.

Some people who pay taxes on this income could still face criminal charges for producing pornographic content, discouraging them from declaring their earnings. Zhelezniak says legalizing the production and distribution of pornographic content would eliminate this problem. The bill is currently under consideration by the Ukrainian parliament.