On Friday, President Karol Nawrocki vetoed legislation intended to implement the DSA in Poland. The proposed amendments would have introduced a procedure for the rapid issuance of orders to restrict access to illegal online content.
"The presidential veto pleases online abusers, Russian troll farms, pedophiles, extreme nihilists, and lobbyists. The victims of this veto are Polish children, parents, and the safety of all citizens. There is no way to justify this," Tusk wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday.
The prime minister had also commented on the president's decision on Friday, arguing that it was difficult to imagine an issue more important, and one that should transcend political divisions, than protecting children from online criminal activity.
Explaining his decision to veto the legislation, Nawrocki said he would not yield to pressure from those in power, particularly when public safety and freedom were at stake. He argued that the state already possesses sufficient tools to protect society in this area.
The State Commission for the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Minors Under the Age of 15 also expressed concern over the veto, stating that it would delay the introduction of important mechanisms designed to protect young internet users.
The commission said the legislation contained measures that "could have genuinely strengthened this protection," including more effective requirements for online platforms to respond to illegal content, including its removal, mechanisms for verifying users' ages, and risk assessment obligations for digital platforms and services.
The vetoed legislation was one of two bills drafted following an earlier presidential veto that blocked amendments to the Act on the Provision of Services by Electronic Means and several related laws earlier this year.
On Friday, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski announced that a new bill focused on online safety would be introduced.
(pu)
Source: PAP