The dispute erupted after Brzoska publicized a Facebook ad that used a manipulated photo of him in handcuffs alongside a false claim of his death.
He said the image had circulated widely enough that his own children asked him about it.
"If my minor kids are sending me these screenshots asking, 'What's going on, Dad?'" Brzoska wrote on X, addressing Meta's Polish management, "then, in your place, I'd look for another job."
Brzoska also named several Meta Poland and regional executives in his post, accusing them of enabling what he called the company's "criminal activity" in Poland.
Soon after, his Instagram account was temporarily blocked—a move he linked directly to his public criticism.
Gawkowski, who also serves as a deputy prime minister, said the episode illustrates a troubling pattern: platforms profit from ads that exploit someone's likeness for fraud, then shield themselves behind anonymous advertisers—and silence victims who speak up.
"That is censorship in its darkest form," he wrote on X.
He framed the issue as bigger than one executive's grievance, warning that scam ads, deepfakes and fake investment schemes threaten the savings of millions of Poles.
Meta, he said, has the resources to stop such content and "will enforce" platform accountability for user safety.
Gawkowski also pointed to a political roadblock: legislation that would have empowered regulators to compel Meta to remove such content was vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki in January.
Nawrocki argued the bill, meant to implement the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), risked curbing free speech.
A revised version is now moving through parliament, and Gawkowski said he hopes Nawrocki will side with "Polish users" rather than "big tech" this time.
The confrontation follows a legal setback for Meta.
In late April, Brzoska announced that the Warsaw Court of Appeals had found Meta Platforms liable for fake investment ads that used his image and that of his wife, Omenaa Mensah—a ruling he called a breakthrough.
The case is now expected to return to the Warsaw District Court.
The DSA, the first EU-wide regulation to hold platforms accountable for user-posted content, took full effect in February 2024.
It places the heaviest obligations on major platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube, aiming to curb illegal content while protecting free expression and user privacy.
Poland has yet to fully implement it.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP