WARSAW CALLS FOR SUPPRESSION OF VIOLENT ONLINE CONTENT

WARSAW, OCTOBER 16 /SRNA–Reuters/ – Poland has summoned representatives of internet service companies, including Google, Meta, TikTok and Telegram, to the Ministry of Digital Affairs and called on them to do more to combat violent content following a series of knife attacks in schools.

"Every Polish resident is expected not to encourage others to commit suicide. There must be no content that supports or incites criminal threats, and users must not be exposed to situations involving murder, physical injury or mutilation," Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said at a press conference.

He said that between October 7 and 12, Poland recorded 89 cases of illegal content related to the attacks on the companies’ websites, and that no action was taken in two-thirds of those cases.

Gawkowski said that the social media platform X had also been invited to the meeting, but its representative did not attend.

Thousands of police officers were deployed to schools this week after a series of three attacks in four days triggered a wave of online threats, leaving students and teachers fearful for their safety.

Warsaw says that the glorification of violence in certain corners of the internet, including groups dedicated to Nazi ideology or the idolisation of serial killers, has a harmful impact on children. It is calling on social media platforms to do more to remove content that incites hatred and violence.