Category: Panoptykon Foundation

Facebook and other online platforms have been criticised for their role in arbitrarily censoring legal content that is shared through their services. Without explanation Facebook removed pages belonging to Spoleczna Inicjatywa Narkopolityki (SIN), an organisation helping drug users with harm-reduction techniques, cutting off their most important means of communication with those they aim to support.

Panoptykon is supporting SIN to challenge this censorship. They are also pushing for Facebook to change its policies so that it is clear why something is censored and there is a process for contesting such restrictions to free speech online.

In 2019, the District Court in Warsaw imposed an order preventing Facebook from blocking SIN’s new pages while the case is pending.  In July 2021, the court upheld its interim measures ruling. This means that – until the case is decided – SIN’s activists may carry out their drugs-related education on the platform without concerns that they will suddenly lose the possibility to communicate with their audience.

On 7 February 2023, the first hearing took place before the Warsaw Regional Court. Evidence proceedings will continue at a second hearing later in 2023.

In the meantime, others have started to approach Panoptykon and their lawyers asking for support in restoring their censored content, and the issue of content censorship has received substantial media coverage in Poland.