Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski speaks to reporters in December 2024. Credit: Klub Lewicy / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons Poland summoned Google, Meta, TikTok, Discord, and Telegram on Friday and told them to do more to stop violent content from spreading after knife attacks at schools, Reuters reported. Elon Musk’s X was also invited but did not attend. The attacks took place over four days last week in Ostrołęka, near Wyszków, and in Warsaw.
A school employee was killed, and around 15 people were injured, and the attacks were followed by a wave of online threats against schools. Between 7 and 12 October, Polish authorities flagged 89 posts to the platforms as illegal. Only 30 were taken down, Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said after the meeting, Polsat News reported. “All of them should disappear immediately,” Gawkowski said. X came in for the sharpest criticism.
Of 57 posts flagged to it, the platform removed or restricted 20 and ignored the rest, the minister said. He described X as a platform for hate. Gawkowski also asked the companies for proper age checks, including closing accounts that belong to children under 13, and faster handling of reports from Polish state agencies. In return, the platforms agreed to train staff in the coming weeks and set up direct contacts for Polish authorities, he said.
He added that he will publicly name the platforms that respond slowly. The companies did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. At the same time, the government is rushing through a law that puts the EU’s Digital Services Act into effect in Poland. It would let authorities order illegal content to be removed straight away and fine platforms millions of złoty if they fail to act.
The bill now needs the signature of President Karol Nawrocki, who vetoed an earlier version in January over free speech concerns. Gawkowski said proceedings against X will begin once the law is signed. The push in Warsaw comes as the EU considers broader measures to protect children online. Get the TNW newsletter ✕ Close Get the TNW newsletter Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
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