Polish Senate Pushes for Stricter, Faster-Acting Online Censorship Law
The Senate approved a revised version of the Digital Services Act implementation, tightening content-blocking rules and halving the enactment period.
Polish legislators have passed a modified version of the law that transposes the EU Digital Services Act, introducing broader powers to block "illegal content" on the internet. The Senate’s amendment grants the head of the Office of Electronic Communications or the chair of the National Broadcasting Council the right to order blocks in cases of hate-based threats or violence, bypassing the judiciary. It also shortens the implementation timeline from six months to three and expands the list of offences that can trigger immediate blocking, such as incitement to suicide or assistance in murder.
Platforms will have only 24 hours to provide evidence, down from 14 days, and content creators will have a single day to respond. The opposition coalition Confederation has urged the president to veto the bill, arguing it gives officials excessive control over online speech.
Why it matters
The law could dramatically increase government control over internet content, affecting free expression in Poland.
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