WARSAW – Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki on Friday vetoed legislation meant to implement the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), despite the bill having been adopted by parliament at the end of 2025.
The law would have amended Poland’s Act on the Provision of Electronic Services to bring it into line with the DSA.
Nawrocki, elected last year with the backing of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, argued that the bill granted excessive powers to government officials rather than independent courts to decide what content is allowed online.
He also criticised what he called insufficient judicial oversight and overly short deadlines for citizens to challenge administrative decisions.
“The most effective way to take away freedom is not by banning speech, but by imposing a single, officially accepted version of reality,” he said in a video address.
Nawrocki warned that “Orwell’s Ministry of Truth is a warning symbol”, arguing the state must not decide what citizens are allowed to say or think.
Under the DSA, online platforms are responsible for removing illegal content and ensure user safety. The vetoed bill would also have enabled Poland to designate a national digital services coordinator to enforce the rules and liaise with the European Commission and other member states.
In May, the Commission announced it would take Poland to the EU Court of Justice for failing to appoint the coordinator on time.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticised the veto, saying he could not understand blocking a law aimed at tackling online abuse and Russian propaganda. Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski was blunter, saying the president had “vetoed internet safety” and “exposed Polish children to online predators.”
(cs)