During a debate in the European Parliament titled “Presentation of a Plan to Combat Cyberbullying,” MEPs from the Law and Justice Party expressed strong support for a genuine fight against cybercrime, while warning against the dangers posed by excessive and ideologically motivated regulations that could lead to restrictions on freedom of speech.
MEP Maciej Wąsik emphasized that the state has a duty to effectively combat crimes committed on the Internet and to equip law enforcement agencies with the appropriate tools. He noted, however, that mechanisms of administrative censorship must not be introduced under the guise of combating cyberbullying.
“Social media is one of the most important instruments of democracy today, allowing ordinary citizens to express their views. Setting even the slightest limit on freedom of speech creates the temptation to constantly push those boundaries further,” the MEP warned.
Maciej Wąsik also raised the fundamental question of who would decide which content is “true,” “harmful,” or “acceptable,” pointing to the risk of abuse by EU officials and institutions. He recalled that European history has already seen the consequences of totalitarian regimes eliminating freedom of speech.
“It was precisely freedom of speech that Putin, Hitler, Stalin, and Lenin eliminated. Don’t be like them. Be like the Poles,” he said, referring to President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to veto the bill implementing the DSA in Poland, which—as he noted—protected citizens from tools of administrative censorship on the Internet.
MEP Jadwiga Wiśniewska also spoke during the debate, emphasizing that online violence is a real and painful social problem, often leading to dramatic consequences, including suicide attempts. “The scale of the phenomenon is enormous, but introducing further legal regulations will not solve the problem. The key lies in upbringing, strong family relationships, and the presence of responsible adults,” she noted.
Jadwiga Wiśniewska pointed out that schools are increasingly ceasing to be safe spaces and are instead becoming an extension of conflicts carried over from the internet. She also expressed concerns about the ideological nature of some of the proposed regulations.
“No platform or algorithm can replace trust, support, and relationships in a child’s immediate environment. The lack of trust in these regulations stems from the fact that, instead of providing natural protection for children, the European Commission is introducing ideological intrusions,” she emphasized.
PiS MEPs unanimously pointed out that an effective fight against cyberbullying must go hand in hand with the protection of freedom of speech, civil rights, and the responsible upbringing of the younger generation—rather than with the development of costly systems for the mass removal of content.
