The National Council held another three‑day series of online meetings within the framework of the Twinning project with colleagues from France, Germany, Greece, and Italy. Discussions focused on the reorganization of the Ukrainian regulator and the implementation of new rules required by European legislation, including those concerning the regulation of influencers and vloggers.
This time, during the three‑day session, European experts and specialists of the National Council focused on the regulation of influencers and vloggers. Participants discussed forthcoming recommendations (guidelines) for these media entities. Today, opinion leaders exert significant influence on audiences but often remain outside the legal framework. The participants noted the growing role of vloggers and online content creators in the modern media sphere and emphasized the need for clear, balanced, and sustainable regulatory approaches. Experts stressed that regulation should primarily ensure transparency, consumer rights protection, and freedom of expression, while remaining adaptable to rapid changes in the digital environment.
In Europe, approaches to this issue vary:
- In Italy, a Code of Conduct for influencers is already in force. They are required to label advertising and comply with prohibitions (for example, not to promote tobacco). The regulator AGCOM even maintains a special register of such authors.
- Greece has so far chosen the path of voluntary registration for the largest players.
During the presentation on influencer and vlogger regulation, Adriana Mutu, professor, member of the Athens Institute, and expert at the Media and Journalism Research Center, spoke about:
- the definition and categorization of vloggers within the audiovisual and online media sphere;
- European regulatory principles and best practices;
- obligations regarding transparency, commercial communications, and audience protection;
- possible regulatory approaches compatible with the Ukrainian legal framework.
For Ukraine, it is important to strike a balance: to protect consumers (especially children) and to ensure transparency of online advertising, while at the same time not restricting freedom of expression. The introduction of new rules will help the National Council strengthen the regulation of audiovisual content and digital media and bring it closer to European standards.
During the discussion, participants also addressed the practical implications of implementing the proposed rules for regulating influencers and vloggers, along with the associated risks and opportunities. In particular, they emphasized the importance of self‑regulation and co‑regulation in this process. These rules must also be aligned with EU acts in the field of audiovisual and digital services.
The next meeting will take place on 15-17 April at the office of the Italian media regulator AGCOM in Rome.
Background: The Twinning project between the National Council and European regulators from Italy, Germany, France, and Greece has been ongoing for more than a year. During this time, it has become a platform for professional dialogue on the institutional development of the Ukrainian regulator and for exchanging experience on practical media regulation tools.
