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Crime The Internet

Poland To Jail Online Streamers of Violent Crime For Up To 5 Years (reuters.com) 43

Polish lawmakers have voted to criminalize "trash streaming," with up to five years in prison for online broadcasts of serious crimes such as rape or murder, animal cruelty, humiliating violence, gambling promotion, or even simulated depictions of those acts. Reuters reports: The move is part of a broader push by Poland to tighten regulation of online content. Recent measures include banning the use of mobile phones by children under 16 in schools and introducing stricter age verification rules to access pornography. Under the new provisions, broadcasting crimes punishable by more than five years in prison, including murder or rape, will itself be classed as a separate offence punishable by up to five years behind bars.

The law also covers content showing cruelty to animals, violence aimed at humiliating others, and the promotion of gambling. The same penalties will apply to individuals who simulate or falsely portray the commission of such crimes while streaming, lawmakers said.

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Poland To Jail Online Streamers of Violent Crime For Up To 5 Years

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  • Highly abusable (Score:2, Insightful)

    by rsilvergun ( 571051 )
    So a police officer beats the shit out of somebody right? You put that on the internet and now you've got 5 years in prison for it.

    Seriously is anyone dumb enough that they don't see right through shit like this? There is already bound to be existing obscenity law that can be used against this kind of content. But those laws usually have a much higher bar to prove.

    It's amazing how easy it was to get everybody to give up their rights and privacy and freedom. It took a while but the problem is the peo
    • Re:Highly abusable (Score:4, Insightful)

      by machineghost ( 622031 ) on Thursday June 11, 2026 @06:20PM (#66187268)

      TFA says nothing whatsoever about that. What it says is:

      Under the new provisions, broadcasting crimes punishable by more than five years in prison, including murder or rape, will itself be classed as a separate offence punishable by up to five years behind bars.

      The law also covers content showing cruelty to animals, violence aimed at humiliating others, and the promotion of gambling.

      The same penalties will apply to individuals who simulate or falsely portray the commission of such crimes while streaming, lawmakers said.

      So again, nothing about not posting cop abuse videos. If you have some other information beyond the article, share it ... but otherwise, why are you wasting your life spreading FUD, over something you clearly know nothing about?

      • Re:Highly abusable (Score:5, Insightful)

        by jenningsthecat ( 1525947 ) on Thursday June 11, 2026 @06:43PM (#66187308)

        TFA says nothing whatsoever about that. What it says is:

        Under the new provisions, broadcasting crimes punishable by more than five years in prison, including murder or rape, will itself be classed as a separate offence punishable by up to five years behind bars.

        So again, nothing about not posting cop abuse videos.

        If what the cop is doing is a crime "punishable by more than five years in prison", then posting a video of the cop committing said crime is also a crime under the new legislation - at least according to TFS: "Under the new provisions, broadcasting crimes punishable by more than five years in prison, including murder or rape, will itself be classed as a separate offence punishable by up to five years behind bars".

      • So there was this little brouhaha over a certain fellow named George Floyd being executed in broad daylight by police and posting that video under a law like this would get you 5 years in prison.

        I don't give a shit what the article says I'm talking about the inevitable and obviously intended results of laws like this. You do not write laws like this if you don't intend to use them to silence journalists and Free speech. Again like I said existing obscenity law covers shitty YouTube posters putting up sn
        • They all are who ruined us and don't care about us. They are the direct cause for all our problems. There's a growing problem with baby boomers who just want to kill somebody and they're old so they decide what the hell I'm going to shoot a random person on my property and see if I get away with it and if I don't who cares if I die in prison I'm only going to be alive for a few more years. You keep seeing kids wandering on to somebody's property playing hide and seek and getting blown away in broad daylight

        • Not what the law does. Read more carefully.

    • by dfghjk ( 711126 )

      You realize this is Poland right? You're an expert in Polish obscenity laws?

      "So a police officer beats the shit out of somebody right? You put that on the internet and now you've got 5 years in prison for it."
      Maybe, if you survive the police backlash. And if a police officer "beats the shit out of" someone is that a "serious crime" that qualifies? If it is, why should you broadcast it?

      "It's amazing how easy it was to get everybody to give up their rights and privacy and freedom."
      Is it easy though? And y

      • No I'm not an expert but I can fucking Google the phrase does Poland have obscenity laws and yes they do. The laws are actually much more strict than the laws here in the United states. They would easily cover snuff films.

        I really wish you could think clearly. I don't know if it's the paint fumes or the paint chips or what not but you aren't thinking your way through this.

        There are plenty of existing laws even in Poland that would cover posting snuff films online but those laws even if they're stric
      • And if a police officer "beats the shit out of" someone is that a "serious crime" that qualifies? If it is, why should you broadcast it?

        You're asking why a video of a police officer beating someone should be posted? Are you new?

        You realize this is Poland right?

        Uh yeah, we realize this is Poland, right. Are you new? [peoplesworld.org]

        You realize this is Poland right?

        YES WE FUCKING REALIZE IT'S POLAND. [dissentmagazine.org]

    • by ukoda ( 537183 )

      So a police officer beats the shit out of somebody right? You put that on the internet and now you've got 5 years in prison for it.

      I guess someone from Poland could comment on how that applies there. However you would probably be ok in the USA because as I understand it a police officer beating the shit out of somebody in not classified as a violent crime there anymore.

    • by Kisai ( 213879 )

      I think it won't work because the social media platforms aren't in Poland. There are some major streamers that are based in Poland, but the crimes they've commited are in not.

      I understand the "violent crime" bit, but it probably should have been dialed down to specificly "Violent crime against adults, children. Animals kept as pets (not livestock, not wild animals) where the animal has been put into a violent situation by a human."

      Because let's be honest, the funniest animal videos are ones where animals hu

      • and can't post their security camera/cameraphone coverage to prove the violence was excessive by the law enforcement.
        You do not have to post anything to proof anything: you only have to show it in court.

    • Many countries in continental Europe and around the world have "duty to rescue" laws that impose an affirmative legal duty on citizens to aid individuals in distress. If you are leisurely broadcasting violent crime instead of alerting authorities or trying to help, you are already breaking the law. If on top of that you are trying to cash in on the situation, 5 years in prison sounds about right.
    • What if the profits related to perverse content were taxed at rates above 100%? Might that reduce the perverse incentives?

      Okay, so now we have to argue about "perverse", but...

  • ..or even simulated depictions of those acts.

    Uh, isn't that how you ban AI for civilian use in your country?

    Because that's how you ban AI for civilian use in your country.

    Good luck even discerning real from simulation five years from now. 8K might be still considered a resolution fit for civilian products such as high-definition televisions.

    16K+ might be more considered an unlicensed fully-automatic psychological assault weapon of death.

  • Clarity is Needed (Score:5, Insightful)

    by SmaryJerry ( 2759091 ) on Thursday June 11, 2026 @06:40PM (#66187302)
    Based on the article its impossible to discern whether the outlawed broadcasts are only those where you are involved in the situation, such as creating or enabling it, or whether this would also outlaw things like live news coverage or live streaming of events people stumble upon while walking down the road.
  • "or even simulated depictions of those acts"

    So they're going to be arresting thousands of actors and film crew now? This basically criminalises making movies or tv shows.

  • That's great! Murder without casting: 25 years. Murder in streaming: 5 years!

    (I am actually joking... I know, I know...)

  • 90% of youtube videos will fall under one of these prohibited categories, so youtube may as well just block the entire country.

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