[Chapter-delegates] Internet censorship in Poland: ISOC Poland joins the debate with the Prime Minister TODAY - watch live at 1400 CET

[Marcin Cieslak]

Today, on Friday Feb the 5th, 14:00 Central European Time, I will take
part in the meeting of the Internet and civil society community 
with the Prime Minister of Poland, Mr Donald Tusk.

Following a last week meeting I took part with Minister Boni
(responsible for day-to-day operations of the cabinet) where
representatives of 7 organisations (including Internet Society
Poland represented by myself) have expressed their deepest concern
about proposed introduction of the government-run list of banned
websites and Internet services that is about to be introduced by
the proposed law that regulates gambling in the country. The issue
has stirred lots of controversy amount the Internet community in
the country, with mainstream media to follow up on the issue.

The proposed law introduces a general ban on gambling not 
lincensed by the government *including* online gambling that
might be targeted at the Polish user (being either (a) available
in the Polish language (b) operating from Poland or (c) being
advertised in Poland). To support the ban, the government
proposal that has been approved by the Council of Ministers
mid-January 2010 a special register of banned Internet websites
and services is about to be introduced. The register will
be run by the Polands telecom regulator (UKE) and entries
are about to be added by the police and the customs and
approved by the circuit court in Warsaw.

The register, however, will not only include gambling sites
- it is also targeted at the child pornography sites
(possession and dissemination of such material have been
made illegal in Poland recently) as well as the sites dealing with
the fund transfer from bank accounts/credict cards using fradulent
information (i.e.  phishing sites). A quasi-judicial procedure is
about to be introduced.  All Internet providers need to comply to the court
request within 6 hours.

Internet Society Poland in a joint letter with 9 other civic society
organisations has protested against the proposed change on
the constitutional grounds.

The meeting is scheduled to take two hours and will be transmitted
live on the Internet (as well as being covered by three nationwide
TV networks).

This will be of course in Polish but the atmosphere may be nevertheless
interesting.  In addition to ISOC Poland and other organisations a
sample of Internet users, bloggers and online activits has been
invited, based on the questions and issues they have raised on the
dedicated Internet portal during last week. I have been told that
number of participants will be about 50.

It can be watched live:

http://www.premier.gov.pl/centrum_prasowe/centrum_multimedialne/na_zywo/

http://www.onet.tv/zapytaj-premiera-debata-na-zywo,6130793,relacja.html

http://www.lookr.tv/


Special iPhone version:

http://www.premier.gov.pl/iphone

Full details of the event:

http://www.premier.gov.pl/centrum_prasowe/wydarzenia/id:4129/

List of invited organisations:

http://www.premier.gov.pl/files/news/download/Organizacje_pozarzadowe_na_spotkanie_z_premierem.pdf

More details (in Polish) on the office of the prime minister website:

http://www.premier.gov.pl/centrum_prasowe/wydarzenia/id:4129/

-- 
Marcin Cieslak
Internet Society Poland