Petro Poroshenko signs law on Ukrainian language

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as a State Language” today. Ukraine’s parliament has passed the draft law this past April 25.

As soon as the document is published in the official media, online businesses, online media, and software developers will have a year and a half to comply with the requirements of the new law.

Essentially, all regulations concerning the Ukrainian language online are laid out in article 27 of the draft law named “A state language in the sphere of user interfaces of computer programs and websites.” Regulations pertaining to online businesses are also contained in article 30 “A state language in the sphere of consumer services.”

These regulations include:

  • Websites and pages in social networks of companies selling goods in Ukraine and registered in Ukraine must be in Ukrainian.
  • Mobile applications of companies selling goods and services in Ukraine must have a Ukrainian version.
  • Companies of all forms of ownership and PEs [Private entrepreneurs] providing services to consumers shall have such services and information about their products available in the Ukrainian language.
  • A computer program sold in Ukraine must have an interface in Ukrainian and/or in English and other official languages of the EU.

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