Google, Meta, TikTok, Discord and Telegram were summoned on Friday, 16 October, while X was invited but did not send a delegation.
Between 7 and 12 October, Polish authorities flagged 89 posts as illegal, and platforms took down 30 of them.
X restricted or removed 20 of the 57 posts flagged to it and took no action on the other 37.
The ministry wants accounts of users under 13 deleted and reports from NASK and CBZC handled faster, and platforms committed to staff training in the coming weeks.
The bill needs the signature of President Karol Nawrocki, who rejected an earlier version in January over free speech concerns.
Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who is also deputy prime minister, met platform representatives at the ministry in Warsaw on Friday, 16 October. Google, Meta, TikTok, Discord and Telegram were summoned to discuss protecting minors and removing illegal material. X was invited as well, but it sent no delegation, and the minister called that conduct impudent. The meeting followed a run of knife attacks at schools that stirred fear and triggered online threats.
Three attacks came within four days, in Ostrołęka, near Wyszków and in Warsaw. On 8 October in Leszczydol-Nowiny, northeast of the capital, a 15-year-old former pupil is accused of killing a school caretaker and wounding two teachers, wearing a helmet-mounted camera during the attack. The most recent attack, on Saturday, 10 October, left three people injured at a further education college in Warsaw. Across the incidents, one school employee was killed and around 15 people were injured, while thousands of police were sent to schools this week to ensure security. Warsaw argues that glorification of violence in online groups, including those devoted to Nazi ideology or idolising serial killers, harms children.
Gawkowski said that between 7 and 12 October, Polish authorities flagged 89 posts to platforms as illegal under the criminal code, and only 30 were taken down. X fared worst: it restricted or removed 20 of the 57 posts flagged to it and took no action on 37. The minister insisted on speed. He labelled X a hate platform, pointing to what he described as a lack of responsibility.
“All of them should disappear immediately, not after weeks or months.”
Data from the article text
The ministry wants real age verification for users and the immediate deletion of accounts belonging to people under 13. Platforms agreed to train staff in the coming weeks and to set up direct contacts for Polish authorities. Gawkowski also demanded faster moderation, with reports from NASK, CBZC and state institutions handled through shortened procedures. He said the ministry will monitor response times closely and name both the platforms that cooperate and those he said are focused only on earnings.
The government is rushing a law that brings the EU Digital Services Act into effect in Poland, and the Senate introduced amendments to it this week. The bill needs the signature of President Karol Nawrocki, who rejected an earlier version in January over free speech concerns. Under the draft, authorities could order illegal content removed straight away and fine platforms millions of złoty for failing to act. Gawkowski said proceedings against X will begin once the law is signed. He tied the outcome for platforms directly to the president's decision.
“The signature under the DSA is essential for me to be able to hold the platforms by the throat.”
The push comes as the EU weighs broader measures to protect children online.
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support PollarSafety · Warsaw, Ostrołęka, and Wyszków
Poland's digital minister summoned Google, Meta, TikTok, Discord and Telegram on Friday, 16 October, after knife attacks at schools. X did not attend, and only 30 of 89 flagged posts were removed.
AI text based on reports by wpolityce.pl, The Next Web, LBC and other publishers. Published .