Law on translating websites into Ukrainian

According to legislation, Ukrainian internet resources must completely switch to the state language by July 16, 2022. In this article, we will discuss the legislative norms governing the use of the Ukrainian language on the internet and in the interfaces of computer programs for products sold in our country.

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Law on the State Language

The Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language" (hereinafter referred to as the Law) entered into force on January 16, 2021. According to the Law, Ukrainian is the sole state (official) language in Ukraine. This provision applies to all areas of public life and business activities in Ukraine.

Mandatory use of the state language

Since the requirement to use the state language is enshrined in law, entrepreneurs are required to bring several important aspects of their activities into compliance with the Law.

In particular, this concerns:

• formalization of labor relations;
• document flow;
• design and technical documentation;
• advertising;
• oral and written communication with clients;
• software interface;
• mentions of business on the Internet.

Transition of business to the state language

What should we do to avoid breaking the Law?wroteEarlier. As a reminder, Ukrainian businesses had 18 months to transition to the state language.

This period ends, and new provisions of Article 27 of the Law come into force on July 16, 2022. They regulate the use of the Ukrainian language on the internet and the interface language of computer programs installed on goods sold in Ukraine.

Computer programs 

According to paragraph 1 of Article 27, the user interface of computer programs implemented in Ukraine must be:

• state language;
• and/or English;
• and/or another official language of the European Union.

Under interface languageThis refers to the language of the information with which a computer program user interacts. Specifically, this applies to the visual design of software, the dialog box for communicating with a website's support team, the form for completing transactions, and so on.

According to paragraph 2 of Article 27, which will come into force on July 16, 2022, the Ukrainian-language interface must provide users with no less information than its versions in other languages.

In other words, the device's user interface must be as clear and comprehensive as possible for the Ukrainian user, regardless of whether the device, equipped with a computer program, is controlled via an electronic screen or a keypad.

There are exceptions.

Important! Clause 8 of Article 27 states: if specialized software,used exclusively in the field of information technologyIf there is an English-language user interface, then Ukrainian is not required.

Also, the requirement for an interface in the state language does not apply to software for specialized scientific, technical, medical diagnostic and other professional equipment thatdoes not belong to the category of consumer goods(devices, machines, tools, etc.).

Internet resources 

According to paragraph 6 of Article 27all Internet resources(websites, social media pages, channels in Telegram, Viber, YouTube, mobile applications, etc.)which are used as online representations of business entities registered in Ukraine(including Internet information resources),are obliged to switch to the Ukrainian language.

Basic requirements

1. The Ukrainian version of the site should be the main one and loaded by default.
2. The site may have versions in other languages.
3. The version in the state language must be no smaller in size than the foreign language versions of the site.

After July 16, the absence of a Ukrainian-language version of the website will constitute a deliberate violation of the Law, which will result in a fine.

Exceptions for foreign companies

For foreign business entities, the Ukrainian version of the website may contain slightly less information than the main language version (for example, the English version).

Moreover, the Ukrainian version of the website of such a supplier of goods or services should be loaded by default. Internet users should also receive comprehensive information about the company and its activities.

There is a fine for violation.

The law provides for control over the mandatory use of the state language.

On the one hand, this is aimed at protecting the rights of Ukrainian citizens to receive information and services in areas of public life in the state language.

On the other hand, it regulates liability for failure to comply with legal requirements.

The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language is responsible for overseeing compliance with the Law. Since June 2020, this position has been held by Ukrainian philologist, MP, and politician Taras Kremen.

The Ombudsman records violations and has the power to impose legal liability through a system of fines.

Sanctions may be imposed on officials, managers and employees of companies of all types of ownership and individuals who violate the Law.

Amount of the fine

1. If the violation is committed for the first time - from 3400 to 8500 UAH
2. For a repeat offense - from 8,500 to 11,900 UAH

According to official information, the Language Ombudsman's Office received 3,574 complaints in 2021. One in four concerned non-compliance with the Law in the service sector, and the majority concerned the lack of a Ukrainian-language version of websites.

What are the penalties for violating the Law?

For an online information resource, the lack of a Ukrainian-language version may indicate a deliberate violation of the law by its owner. Alternatively, it may indicate the lack of state registration of the website as a media outlet and/or its owner as a business entity.

“This, in turn, would indicate the intention of the owner of the Internet resource to remain outside the legal framework of Ukraine and would cause reasonable distrust of the information published on the site,”— Taras Kremen writes on his Facebook page.

Learning the state language

For information on free courses, conversation clubs, and online resources for learning and improving your Ukrainian language proficiency, please visitlink(the list is constantly updated).

IT courses in Ukrainian

We wrote about free courses in the state language for mastering IT professions in the thematic sectionarticleThe industry is gradually starting to speak Ukrainian – join us!

Conclusion

There is still time until July 16, so if you want to work within the framework of the law, make sure that the main versionwebsiteIt was Ukrainian. It should be no less extensive and informative than the other language versions of your website.

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