Poland Threatens Social Media Fines Over Disinformation Response

Poland’s Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski accused social media companies of acting as a “silent ally” of Russia’s disinformation efforts and warned that platforms could face financial-penalty proceedings if they fail to comply with state requests.

Government cites platform-response figures

Reuters reported that data from Poland’s NASK National Research Institute showed platforms acted on fewer than a quarter of more than 65,000 reports of fake accounts and disinformation submitted in the first half of 2026. NASK’s figures said platforms deleted 7% of the reported cases and moderated more than 17%.

The figures track reported cases and platform responses; they are not a count of independently proven Russian operations. Gawkowski alleged that the results reflected deliberate conduct by platforms profiting from disinformation. That accusation has not been established by a court finding reported in the article.

Polish-language teams and faster action demanded

The minister said he had asked Discord, Google, Meta, X, Telegram and TikTok to create effective Polish-language moderation teams with direct, real-time links to reporting authorities. He also demanded removal of identified bot networks, faster responses and changes to appeals procedures he characterized as ineffective.

Gawkowski said any state request left unfulfilled would trigger proceedings to impose financial penalties. Reuters said the named companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment; no fines were reported as imposed.

Poland and other Western governments accuse Russia of spreading destabilizing disinformation. Moscow denies those accusations.

Sources

• Reuters: minister’s comments, NASK figures and company response requests
• NASK: official institute website