Vodka, violence, and humiliation live online may soon disappear from our screens. The Sejm is finally taking action against patostreaming, and concrete initiatives from the Civic Coalition and Law and Justice are already in the works. What exactly will change, and what penalties await online creators who prey on the basest instincts?
Prison instead of likes. New regulations on the way.
A phenomenon that has been devastating the psyche of young viewers for years has finally found itself in the crosshairs of politicians. Gazeta.pl portal informs about this, the latest project of the Civic Coalition, proposes introducing severe penalties into the Penal Code for publishing or transmitting violent and degrading content online.
According to the new provisions (adding a new Article 255b to the Penal Code), not only depictions of real violence or animal abuse will be punished. The law will also target those who publish fake, staged scenes imitating real events. Such offenses would be punishable by imprisonment from three months to five years.
PiS and KO – different visions, one goal
Although politicians rarely speak with one voice, there is cross-party agreement on the issue of online pathology that immediate action is necessary. TVP3 Katowice in its article on this topic, the battle continues in parliament over the final wording of the new regulations. Both Law and Justice and the Civic Coalition are aware of the scale of the problem. According to state reports, in recent years, up to 25% of Polish teenagers have been exposed to violent patostreams. Differences between the bills of the largest parties concern legal details, but experts point out that reaching a common compromise is merely a formality in this case.
End of Illegal Influencer Gambling
New legislative initiatives are not only a lash against internet hooligans, but also the end of the harvest for popular influencers promoting illegal gambling. The Polish Press Agency (PAP) in its analysis remindsAttempts to curb this phenomenon in Poland have been ongoing for eight years, with various proposals submitted to the Sejm. This time, however, the emphasis is also on eliminating so-called “super lotteries” and the hidden advertising of online casinos. Creators who lure their often underage viewers with promises of quick money and encourage extremely risky financial behavior will face legal action.
What does this mean for creators and platforms?
If these long-awaited regulations finally come into effect, tech giants and social media platforms will be forced to rapidly tighten their moderation policies. Meanwhile, creators will have to reckon with the fact that what was bringing them profits yesterday from so-called “donate” content will land them straight behind bars tomorrow.
Sources: Gazeta.pl / TVP3 Katowice / PAP
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