In late summer and September 2026 the polygraph made the news in six countries. Almost everywhere the story is the same: the state is testing its own security officers and officials. Below are six short news items with dates and sources, and an explanation of what matters here for a person in Ukraine.
Bulgaria: polygraph and integrity test for police officers
On 29 August Petar Todorov, chair of the parliamentary committee on internal security and a former chief secretary of the Interior Ministry, said on NOVA television that an entirely new Interior Ministry Act is being drafted. This was reported by Novinite. Candidates for service will take an integrity test and a polygraph test, and the integrity test will also be required before every promotion. The bill is due to be introduced at the next parliamentary session.
What this means. For now this is an intention, not a rule in force. But the logic is telling: testing is becoming a condition for entering the system and for career advancement.
Kazakhstan: the Interior Ministry will draw up a list of posts requiring a polygraph
On 24 September the government of Kazakhstan amended the regulation on the Interior Ministry. The ministry now approves the rules for calculating the “digital rating” of military personnel in the internal affairs bodies, as well as the list of military posts for which a psychophysiological and polygraph examination is carried out on appointment. The changes take effect on 9 October, Zakon.kz writes. The list of posts itself does not exist yet, Exclusive.kz notes.
What this means. Here the polygraph is not a one-off exercise but part of the personnel procedure, alongside performance assessment.
Israel: polygraph for all National Security Council staff
In mid-August the Israeli outlet Ynet reported that the new head of the National Security Council, Shmuel Ben Ezra, had asked for the polygraph to be made mandatory for all of the agency’s staff. David Zini, head of the Shin Bet security service, approved the request, although the service’s specialists objected because of a shortage of people and resources. The reason for the request is practical: Council staff took a polygraph test only when they were hired, and so had no clearance for some intelligence material. The final decision was due to be considered by a ministerial committee.
What this means. Periodic testing here is a condition of access to secrets, not a sign of distrust towards a particular person.
USA: the FBI has relaxed one of its selection rules
In late August the Associated Press reported that the FBI no longer automatically screens out applicants who have paid for sex in the past. Such cases are now considered individually. Automatic rejection still applies if it happened within the last ten years, occurred three or more times, or the person held a position of trust at the time. Applicants usually disclose facts like these during the polygraph examination itself. On 15 September the Democratic senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee published a letter to the FBI director criticising the relaxation of standards.
What this means. The polygraph only brings information to light. What to do with it is the employer’s decision — and those rules can change.
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Colombia: testing a nanny ended in charges
On 14 September Colombia’s prosecutor’s office charged former foreign minister Laura Sarabia with abuse of office, unlawful coercion and the use of state resources for personal purposes. According to investigators, in January 2023, when about 7,000 US dollars went missing from her flat, her son’s nanny, Marelbys Meza, was brought in an official car and given a polygraph test while being threatened with prison. Sarabia did not accept the charges, the EFE news agency reports.
What this means. A test carried out under pressure and without free consent is no longer a test but grounds for a criminal case. There is no verdict yet; guilt is for the court to establish.
USA: 30.3 million dollars for Polygraph+
On 25 September MIT Technology Review wrote that the Pentagon is asking for 30.3 million US dollars over five years for the Polygraph+ programme: artificial intelligence algorithms for scoring results, plus contactless sensors. Congress has not yet approved the money. Scientists are sceptical; legal scholar Kyri Kotsoglou called the combination “the worst of both worlds”. More detail in a separate article: The Pentagon and the Polygraph+ AI lie detector.
What this means for you
What all six stories have in common is that the people being tested are those with access to power, weapons or secrets. And almost everywhere this is being written into a law or regulation rather than left to a manager’s discretion.
In Ukraine the picture is different. There is no dedicated law on the polygraph. For some state bodies testing is set out in their own governing laws — for example, at the State Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Economic Security, the National Police and the customs service. In a private company a polygraph test is possible only with the employee’s voluntary written consent, and nobody can be dismissed for refusing. Details are in the article on polygraph law in Ukraine. This is not legal advice.
A practitioner’s comment. The Colombian story is the most useful one for a Ukrainian employer, or for a family where money has gone missing. I do not start an examination if I can see that the person has been brought in by force or intimidated: a result like that is worth nothing.
Practical advice
- For employers. Obtain written consent before the test, agree the topics with the polygraph examiner in advance, and do not threaten dismissal for refusing. How the procedure works is described on the page polygraph test.
- For the person being tested. You have the right to know the topics of the questions beforehand and to refuse at any stage. How to prepare is covered in the article how to pass a polygraph.
- For domestic situations (a nanny, a housekeeper). Only voluntarily, calmly and with a neutral specialist. No “we’re going right now or I’ll call the police”.
- Do not expect a hundred per cent answer. No method provides one: the accuracy of the classic polygraph is 85–89%.
FAQ
Can you be obliged to take a polygraph test in Ukraine?
In a private company — no, only with your written consent. For certain state bodies testing is provided for by law, but even there it is tied to specific posts and procedures.
Is a polygraph result evidence in court?
A polygraph examiner’s report is not evidence in itself. A court requires a forensic psychophysiological examination.
Will artificial intelligence replace the polygraph examiner?
Not yet. Polygraph+ is a budget request, not a finished device, and scientists doubt that it will work as intended.
Find out for sure — faster than you think
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