The bill was intended to implement the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to curb illegal and harmful content online, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Nawrocki said on Friday that the goal of protecting citizens, especially children, was justified, but that the legislation also contained what he described as unacceptable provisions.
"Good solutions have been supplemented with others that are indefensible and simply do damage," Nawrocki said in a video statement posted on social media.
He objected in particular to a provision allowing appeals against officials’ decisions to be filed within 14 days, rather than providing what he called "real judicial oversight."
Nawrocki said the measure would have forced ordinary citizens to "fight with officials" to defend their right to express opinions.
"As president, I cannot sign a bill that in practice amounts to administrative censorship," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski sharply criticised the veto, calling it "a veto to online security."
"This is a blow against Poland and Polish people,” Gawkowski wrote on the X social media platform.
"By vetoing the Digital Services Act, the president has exposed Polish children to online predators," he said. "This veto is not defending freedom of speech—it is a safety clause for paedophiles and swindlers who can operate on the Polish internet with impunity."
The vetoed legislation would have empowered regulators to block online content linked to 27 prohibited offences, including criminal threats, incitement to suicide, praise of paedophilia, promotion of totalitarian ideologies and incitement to hatred based on national, ethnic, racial or religious differences.
Under the bill, citizens and institutions would have been able to request the blocking of such content, with applications submitted to the Office for Electronic Communications or, in the case of video platforms, the National Broadcasting Council.
Nawrocki had earlier criticised the bill, saying it would strip Poles of the right to freely express opinions online.
Opposition politicians also argued the legislation would introduce censorship, the PAP news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP