Russian sources are spreading information that Ukrainian legislation has introduced a ban on criticizing the government, specifically in comments on social media and online platforms. However, this claim is false, as reported by the StopFake project. On January 14, 2025, the Ukrainian Parliament did indeed pass the draft law No 11321 in the second reading, which amends legislation to strengthen media, journalists' activities, and citizens' right to access information. However, the new law does not introduce censorship but rather clarifies existing rules regarding content moderation while protecting the media from liability for users' actions.

The head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, emphasized on his Telegram channel: “We are strengthening the protection of reputable media, not limiting either the media or users. No one is requiring media outlets to delete critical comments without legal grounds”.

He also explained the mechanism for regulating comments under the new legislation: if a legal case is initiated and a reasoned decision is made regarding material that violates the Law on Media, the editorial office has three days to decide on the fate of the respective comment. It can either delete it without legal consequences or leave it and defend its position in court.

“Currently, media outlets can genuinely face lawsuits if they paraphrase a person's words rather than quote them directly, even if the meaning remains unchanged. Instead, we are proposing a way to make it easier for media outlets to convey information so that they can paraphrase a public figure's statement and be protected from lawsuits in such cases”, Yurchyshyn stressed.

Russian propaganda spreads this fake to undermine citizens' trust in the government, sow internal tension, and promote the narrative of alleged “authoritarian” tendencies in Ukraine. At the same time, these informational manipulations target a Western audience, aiming to create a false impression of Ukraine's departure from democratic values, which could be used to undermine international support.