During a session of the Sejm, Law and Justice (PiS) MP Dariusz Matecki delivered a speech in which he accused Donald Tusk’s government of attempting to introduce Internet censorship under the pretext of combating disinformation and hate speech. According to the MP, the new regulations are intended to suppress criticism of those in power ahead of the upcoming elections.
Matecki began his address with the strong statement that “Donald Tusk not only ridicules Poland on the international stage, but yesterday decided that Internet censorship must be imposed in Poland.” He pointed to what he considered the most troubling mechanism:
“And it is not a court, but an official subordinate to the government who is to decide what is true and what is not.“
“Hate speech” as a tool of censorship
In the MP’s view, although officially the new regulations are supposed to target serious crimes, the government is smuggling into them a dangerous and broadly interpretable concept. “They are slipping in so-called hate speech,” he warned from the parliamentary podium. Matecki expressed concern that it would be “Donald Tusk’s government official” who would arbitrarily decide what qualifies as hate speech or fake news, and what constitutes permissible criticism.
To illustrate his concerns, the Law and Justice MP posed a series of rhetorical questions, indicating what kinds of content could soon be banned:
“Will it be considered hate speech, dear MPs of the Civic Platform (PO), to ask whether each of you has 4 million PLN stuffed in a table leg by some friend?“
“Will it be considered hate speech to report that Germany continues to send illegal migrants across the border?“
“Will it be considered hate speech to inform about the government’s compromising, extremely compromising actions, such as in the case of Mr. Bosacki at the UN forum?“
Goal: silence criticism before the elections
In conclusion, Dariusz Matecki argued that the true aim of the new regulations is not the protection of citizens, but the protection of those in power from public scrutiny. “What is to be banned? Criticizing your government before the 2027 elections is to be banned,” thundered the MP. He ended his speech with a clear statement that the government’s actions constitute a fundamental threat to basic civil liberties: “This is not freedom of speech.”
Bill adopted by Tusk’s government
Matecki’s speech was a direct reaction to a bill amending the Act on the Provision of Electronic Services, adopted yesterday by the Council of Ministers. The Ministry of Digital Affairs argues that the purpose of the changes is to more effectively combat illegal content and disinformation.
The key provisions of the bill include:
- introducing a national procedure for issuing orders to block access to content related to specific crimes, such as human trafficking, online fraud, or the exploitation of minors,
- creating an appeals mechanism that would allow users to challenge decisions by online platforms to remove or block their content,
- designating three bodies responsible for oversight: the President of the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) as the main coordinator, the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) in matters of e-commerce, and the Chairman of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) with regard to video platforms.