Zelenskyy signs law that could allow Ukrainian government to block news websites

A new law signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could give Ukraine’s government powers to block media outlets.

Ukraine’s parliament previously passed the law in December and Zelenskyy signed the law on Thursday. Lawmakers say the bill aims to hold Ukraine’s media to the higher standards of the European Union.

Under the law, Ukraine’s media regulator could block websites that are not registered with the government as news organizations or sites said to be spreading Russian propaganda.

The law signed on Thursday has been in production for years now, but is less strict than a previous draft of the proposed legislation.

However, some have opposed the legislation over concerns that it could lead to government censorship.

The legal department of the Ukrainian parliament agreed with this, saying that lawmakers have not done enough to investigate such concerns.