Polish government and opposition have clashed again over the implementation of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), with the heart of the dispute being a new procedure for blocking and unblocking online content. Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Dariusz Standerski argued that currently all power over online content rests with platforms, and the state needs tools to enforce the law. The debate in the Sejm committee on 16 July 2026 showed deep divisions, but also a willingness to compromise on certain technical issues.
Implementation of the DSA in Poland has been split into two separate bills. The first, a baseline law establishing institutions and procedures for complaints against platforms, passed through the parliamentary digital affairs committee relatively smoothly. The second bill, which contains the mechanism for blocking access to illegal content, sparked heated debate. This separation follows President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of an earlier unified law, which he condemned as an attempt to introduce „administrative censorship”.
– Today, all authority over content on the internet belongs to online platforms. They decide what is legal and what is not – said Deputy Minister Standerski, presenting the government’s proposal before the committee. The new procedure would empower the president of the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) and the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) to issue orders to block or unblock content that meets the criteria of the most serious crimes, including child sexual abuse material and terrorism-related content.
Two laws, one goal
The first, baseline bill establishes a coordinator for digital services (the UKE) and gives users the right to lodge complaints against platforms, challenge arbitrary moderation decisions, and report DSA violations such as invasive advertising or unjustified throttling of content reach. It passed the committee with majority support – 10 votes in favour, with the rest abstaining.
However, the second bill, which introduces a court-controlled procedure for content takedowns, faced fierce criticism. Bartłomiej Pejo, head of the committee and a member of the Confederation party, stated: – The project still goes in the direction of stripping constitutional freedom of speech. He announced he would file amendments, although he acknowledged that all parties agree on the need to better regulate safety online.
Anna Matras from Amnesty International argued: – No rights and freedoms – including freedom from hate speech and freedom of expression – can be subject to arbitrary restrictions by tech giants. The state must have proper tools to protect them. She stressed the importance of fully implementing both the DSA and the new blocking procedures.
Business demands more time
Entrepreneurs also weighed in, focusing on the transition period. The draft law assumes a three-month vacatio legis after publication. However, Konfederacja Lewiatan proposed extending this to six months for one key element: the register of domains that fail to comply with blocking orders. Internet providers would be required to cut access to domains listed there.
– Both the UKE and telecommunications companies need more time to implement the new obligations – said Eliza Turkiewicz from Lewiatan. She listed the need for technical specifications, creation of an IT system by the UKE, integration with operators’ systems, and testing. Aneta Cielebąk-Zduniak from KIGEiT and Tomasz Bukowski from PIKE supported this position. Deputy Minister Standerski called the proposal „very reasonable”, adding that the new system should be effective rather than rushed.
– It is important that the system is introduced not necessarily as quickly as possible, but effectively – said Standerski. He indicated that differentiated vacatio legis is worth considering and promised an open discussion on the remaining contentious provisions.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Albert Zawada / PAP
