Ukrainian Official Reveals Wartime Profits of Telegram Channels.

Kyiv Hosts Meeting of Temporary Investigative Commission

According to Novyny.live: At a March 10 meeting in Kyiv, Victoria Siumar, a member of Ukraine's Temporary Investigative Commission (TIC), disclosed the substantial earnings of popular Telegram channels. She reported that these channels can generate up to $20,000 per day. Furthermore, a single sponsored information package can net a channel as much as $40,000. Telegram has become a primary news source in Ukraine, especially since Russia's full-scale invasion, but operates with little oversight.

The subscriber counts for these channels range from 400,000 to one million. Siumar emphasized that the content shared on these platforms is not subject to any verification process. She also pointed out that, unlike traditional media outlets, Telegram channels bear no legal responsibility for the advertising they carry.

“The Information Committee is well aware of how this works because, in principle, any other media outlet bears responsibility,”

Victoria Siumar

Statements from Other Meeting Participants

Another participant, Iryna Borzova, stated that Ukraine's parliament currently has no draft laws proposing to block Telegram. The issue of regulation remains unresolved as the popularity and influence of these channels in Ukraine's information space continue to expand rapidly.

The TIC meeting underscored the pressing need to establish control over digital information resources. The absence of legislative initiatives to regulate Telegram could lead to these platforms wielding even greater influence over public opinion and the national discourse.

Participants stressed the necessity of finding mechanisms to ensure Telegram channels are held more accountable for the information they disseminate. This is seen as a crucial consideration for any future legislative action concerning online media.