Poland’s deputy minister of digitalization Michał Gramatyka has declared a decisive end to impunity for patostreamers, as new penal code provisions criminalizing the spread of violent and abusive content move through the legislative process. Speaking at the CYBERSEC EXPO & FORUM 2026, he warned content creators and platforms alike that streaming abuse for entertainment will no longer be tolerated in the country.
The Sejm has passed amendments to the penal code introducing criminal liability for patostreaming – defined as spreading content that depicts or simulates prohibited acts, including scenes of violence or simulated suicide attempts. The legislation targets both individuals who produce such material and the platforms that host it.
Gramatyka acknowledged uncertainty about how effectively the new rules will be enforced by police, prosecutors and courts, but stressed their symbolic weight. – This law is valuable as a signal to society: patostreamers, your time has come to an end. You will no longer be part of Polish internet reality – he said.
Penal code changes and the artistic loophole
The deputy minister expressed concern about a parliamentary exception for artistic and educational content included in the version passed by the Sejm. He warned that patostreamers might attempt to claim artist status to evade prosecution. – In the Senate they are promising to limit this exception. Otherwise it will turn out that all patostreamers are artists and I do not know how we will deal with that – Gramatyka added.
The Senate is expected to introduce amendments narrowing the scope of the exemption, closing what critics see as a potential escape route for those who broadcast abuse under the guise of performance or creative expression.
Age verification to shield children from pornography
A separate government bill adopted on 2 June will require adult content websites to implement robust age verification systems. According to a recent report, around one million children aged 7–14 in Poland – 32 percent of that age group – visit pornographic sites monthly, often accidentally. – This law is not meant to stop consenting adults from accessing such content. Adults can watch whatever they want – Gramatyka stressed. – It is meant to protect children, who most often receive such content on their smartphone or computer by accident, through algorithms trained on what their parents do.
The deputy minister indicated that the European Union Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW), set for launch in December 2026 and integrated into Poland’s mObywatel app, will be one approved method of age verification. The European Commission has also released its own open-source verification technology. Providers who persistently refuse to implement effective age checks will be added to a registry and blocked from Polish internet. – When they persistently avoid doing it, they will disappear from Polish internet – Gramatyka said.
Smartphones in schools and cyber resilience
On the recently adopted ban on smartphones in primary schools, Gramatyka clarified that teachers retain discretion to permit device use when it serves an educational purpose. – When a smartphone is needed as a teaching tool, every teacher will be able to ask children to take it out of their backpacks or lockers. But it will be the teacher’s decision, not the child’s – he explained.
The interview also touched on the resilience of Poland’s telecommunications infrastructure. Gramatyka discussed potential consequences of a successful cyberattack on key networks, emphasizing ongoing efforts to strengthen national digital defenses.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. CYBERSEC EXPO & FORUM
