Better Internet for Kids

Here, we take an in-depth look at the latest monitoring information for Poland.

BIK policies

Policy design asks whether evidence and research support BIK-related policies and whether systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating those policies.

Policy frameworks

Policy frameworks describe the overarching approach for a better internet, and establish the underlying goals, principles and guidelines that shape individual policies within this area.

In Poland:

• This topic is an important and emerging policy priority with children’s online protection, digital empowerment and digital participation partially covered in national/regional laws, regulations and policies.
• There are separate, dedicated policies which address the topic of children and the digital environment (protection, empowerment, and participation).
• The BIK+ strategy is very important in the national policy on children and the digital environment (e.g., is explicitly referenced in national policies).
• Children’s rights in the digital environment are implied rather than explicitly recognised in policies regarding children and the digital environment.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on key national policy frameworks in Poland.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

Policy design

Policy design asks whether evidence and research support BIK-related policies and whether systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating those policies.

• Quantitative data on some aspects of children’s digital activity is collected regularly as part of broader surveys.
• Surveys of children’s experiences of risks, harms and digital well-being are undertaken on an ad-hoc and irregular basis.
• Systems are in place at the government level to gather information on children and the digital environment (e.g., dedicated research units, think tanks or commissions).
• Regarding research funding, there are occasional special initiatives to gather evidence about children and the digital environment.
• There is no systematic monitoring or evaluation of policies on children and the digital environment.
• Policies undergo systematic and regular monitoring and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of actions in different contexts (e.g., to take account of new technologies or emergent risks).

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on recent national research studies in Poland.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

Policy governance

Policy governance examines how policies are coordinated at the governmental level, whether other implementation bodies are involved in their delivery, and whether structured mechanisms are available to guide their implementation.

• The lead ministry, public agency or regulatory authority is an informal arrangement depending on the requirements at a particular point in time.
• Coordination of policies and their implementation is distributed across multiple entities.
• One or more programmes of action is/are underway supporting children’s online safety and participation in the digital environment. However, these lack accountabilities such as defined timelines, assigned responsibilities or key performance indicators (KPIs).

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on key policy governance mechanisms in Poland.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

Stakeholder involvement

Stakeholder involvement enquires how different stakeholders can participate in policy development. Children’s involvement in policy-making is one such key issue. Additionally, international knowledge exchange about children's digital participation is also relevant to this topic.

• Various groups exist across different branches of government, in which stakeholders may contribute to policy discussion and development.
• Members of the public are consulted only when new policies are being developed.
• Children are actively involved in the design of policies related to their participation in the digital environment. There are specially designed structures in place for this purpose.

Read the full Policy monitor country profile for detailed information on crucial stakeholder involvement mechanisms in Poland.

Read the full 2025 edition of the Policy monitor report.

BIK+ actions

Pillar 1 – safe digital experiences

Safe digital experiences refer to actions taken to protect children from harmful and illegal online content, conduct, contact, and risks as young consumers and to improve their well-being online through a safe, age-appropriate digital environment created in a way that respects children’s best interests. 

Implementing EU laws

• The Ministry of Digital Affairs coordinates implementation. Legal solutions to implement the Digital Services Act (DSA) are currently undergoing public consultations. The draft act is under preparation. Pursuant to the Objectives published by the Ministry, the Office of Electronic Communications (Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej), the telecommunications and post regulator, will be appointed as the Digital Services Coordinator.

Harmful online content

• The Ministry of Digital Affairs is currently working on a draft Act on the protection of children from harmful content on the internet, which is expected to introduce solutions in this area. The definition of harmful content has not been adopted, although work is underway on a draft that would limit its availability to children (Draft Law on the Protection of Minors from Access to Harmful Content on the Internet). This draft does not include a definition of harmful content. However, the definition was worked out within the activities of a working group on the protection of minors on the Internet in the Ministry of Digitalisation.
• The Association of Internet Industry Employers (IAB Poland) has developed a code of good practice on technical safeguards or other appropriate measures to protect minors from harmful content in audio-visual media services.
• Children may make a complaint to Dyżurnet.pl hotline to report, among other things, CSAM, as well as pornography or otherwise illegal content according to the Penal Code, with the aim of removing such content from the internet.
• The Office of the Ombudsperson for Children receives a number of notifications on harmful online content. The Office's employees provide support and information on possible actions that can be taken by those who report such cases. At the same time, on the basis of the reports received, appropriate steps are taken to introduce effective regulations that will increase the protection of children in the digital environment and limit access to dangerous content. The Bureau's employees also cooperate with Dyzurnet.pl, operating within NASK-PIB, to eliminate such content and take measures to ensure the safe use of the internet by children. 

Harmful online conduct

• National/regional laws, regulations or policies are in place to protect children and young people from intimate image abuse or 'the non-consensual sharing of intimate images'. Regulations of the Penal Code cover the issue, and these offences can be investigated by the national law. All citizens can use Art. 14 section 1 of the Act on the Provision of Services by Electronic Means (Dz.U. z 2002 r., nr 144, poz.1204 z późn. zm.). The responsibility of an intermediary (for example, websites publishing texts) begins when the user informs him about the unlawful nature of the published data.
• Regarding cyberbullying, the issue is covered by regulations of the Penal Code, and these offences can be investigated under national law. Children and young people can assert their rights according to general laws. The matter is also covered by general regulations of the Criminal Code.

Age verification 

• In addition to the draft implementation of the Digital Services Act, which is still in the governmental stage, the Ministry of Digital Affairs is working on a draft law to protect minors from accessing harmful content on the internet. This draft is currently under consultation.
• A person aged 13 or older can create a trusted profile, which allows them to confirm their identity when using electronic government services. They can also create a profile in the mCitizen application, which allows them to use electronic identity documents.

Commercial content

• Recommendations of the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) on the labelling of advertising content by influencers on social media are available. However, there is growing problem of the lack of regulation of children's work as social media influencers. There is a need for regulatory action to protect underage online creators.
• Apart from the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, which covers some of the topics indicated, there is no specific regulation of commercial practices toward children. However, there are legal acts prohibiting, among other things, the targeting of advertising of medicinal products and alcohol in particular to children. There is an initiative from the Ombudsperson for Children on loot boxes in computer games. She asked that these mechanisms be included in the Gambling Act, which would make them inaccessible to minors.  

Mental health and well-being

• There is telephone and online support - Helpline for Children and Young People 116 111, Helpline for Parents and Teachers 800 100 100. Within these two projects, help is provided to young internet users, parents and professionals in cases of risks associated with the use of the internet.
• The Office of the Ombudsperson for Children operates the Children's Helpline 800 12 12 12, which children can call with any problem, including those related to difficulties in the digital world. The phone line provides assistance from psychologists who offer emotional support and crisis counselling. The goal of the phone is to provide children with an anonymous and safe space to talk, where they can voice their concerns and get help and emotional support.

Pillar 2 – digital empowerment

Digital empowerment incorporates actions so that all children, including those in vulnerable situations, acquire the necessary skills and competences to make sound choices and express themselves in the online environment safely and responsibly.

Supports for online safety education

• The National Curriculum for General Education describes skills related to the safe use of new technologies.
• The Nationwide Educational Network (referred to as ‘OSE’) is a program operating under the Act on the Nationwide Educational Network of October 27, 2017. According to the act, OSE is a public telecommunications network through which schools receive free access to high-speed internet along with network and ICT security services and services to facilitate access to digital technologies. The operator of OSE is the Naukowa i Akademicka Sieć Komputerowa - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (‘NASK’), supervised by the Minister of Digital Affairs. The provision of ICT security services includes protection against malware, monitoring of threats and network security, and prevention of access to content that may pose a threat to the proper development of children.
• A public debate is underway regarding regulations on phone use at schools. For now, it remains the decision of the individual institutions.
• The Awareness Centre, operating within the Polish Safer Internet Centre, organises numerous webinars, lessons, and workshops for teachers and other professionals interested in online safety. PSIC also hosts the largest conference in Poland dedicated to these issues - the International Conference ‘Keeping Children and Young People Safe Online’. Additionally, the Empowering Children Foundation runs an online educational platform that serves as a publicly accessible knowledge base for teachers on online safety.
• Since 2021, the Cyberlekcje project has been implemented on behalf of the Ministry of Digital Affairs. It is designed for teachers and offers teaching materials for all educational levels, as well as in-person training sessions. 

Digital literacy skills to empower young people

• The National Policy for Digital Transformation in Education provides students with the skills to safely use new technologies. The National Policy for Digital Transformation in Education will include the issue of the safe and effective use of digital resources. The National Curriculum for IT Education describes skills for the safe use of new technologies.
• NASK has conducted research on the use of AI in education, and based on the findings, further initiatives will be undertaken to support the integration of artificial intelligence into the learning process. In general, teaching digital competencies is becoming increasingly present in schools, equipping students and educators with the necessary skills to navigate the evolving digital landscape.
• NASK also operates the Disinformation Analysis Centre, which aims to protect citizens, including children and youth, from disinformation. As part of its efforts, the centre conducts training sessions for children to help them recognise and counteract misleading information. These initiatives contribute to strengthening media literacy and critical thinking skills among young people.
• One of the main goals of the Digital Youth Forum (PSIC event for youth) is to strengthen young people in their digital skills. The School with Class Foundation conducts a free educational program for children in primary schools and kindergartens, showing them how to explore the internet safely and responsibly. Moreover, NASK was coordinating a project in consortium with Romania and Latvia under the Creative Europe program, dedicated to media education and critical thinking: ‘Make it Clear - educating young people against disinformation.’

Pillar 3 – active participation, respecting children’s rights

Active participation, respecting children’s rights, refers to actions which give children and young people a say in the digital environment, with more child-led activities to foster innovative and creative safe digital experiences.

Active participation

• In Poland, the Local Government Act allows for the establishment of youth councils at the county and provincial levels. Youth councils represent youth interests to local government bodies and help integrate youth communities. Within the Polish Safer Internet Centre (PSIC), there is the Youth Panel - Digital Future of Students, which is involved in consulting educational materials, sharing experiences in online activities, and consulting on new trends. The Youth Panel also holds both in-person and online meetings.
• As a new initiative within the Polish Safer Internet Centre (PSIC), the Cyber Spot project has been launched. This initiative focuses on establishing digital councils across the country in schools, enabling young people to take the lead in educating their peers about online safety. These councils can also organize events such as Safer Internet Day in schools, fostering a culture of digital responsibility among students.
• Additionally, representatives of youth panels at the Polish Safer Internet Centre actively participate in BIK Ambassadors' initiatives, European consultations, and youth panel meetings in Brussels, ensuring that young voices are heard in shaping digital policies and online safety strategies at both national and European levels.
• Moreover, at the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children, all initiatives are consulted with young people to ensure their voice is considered in the decision-making process. There is a Children and Youth Council attached to the Ombudsperson, which actively participates in the opinion and co-creation of measures to protect the rights of the youngest. The children's opinion was heard and considered in creating the nationwide campaign on image protection, ‘More respect for the young image.’ In addition, a new Children's Participation Team has been established to strengthen young people's involvement in issues that affect them and to promote their active participation in shaping policies and initiatives at the national level. 

Supporting children's rights

• In 2024, the Ombudsperson's office implemented the social and educational campaign ‘More respect for the young image’, which aims to emphasise the fundamental importance of protecting young people's image online, for the sake of their safety, privacy and respect for their rights. An extremely important element of the action is to show that it is fundamental to listen to young people when it comes to deciding on their online image. Each elementary school in Poland have received printed educational materials – posters and leaflets.
• The Digital Education and Online Safety Team was established at the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children in 2024. Its goal is to ensure that the rights of young people in the digital environment are respected, to educate children, young people, parents and educators about online safety, responsible use of new technologies and the development of digital competence. 

Digital inclusion

• The National Integrated Educational Platform offers digital educational resources. The Polish Safer Internet Centre also organises the Digital Youth Forum, numerous events as part of the Youth Panel and Safer Internet Day celebration. 

BIK+ index 2025: Poland

The BIK+ index has been developed to provide an aggregated at-a-glance overview of the levels of implementation across the two dimensions, BIK policies and BIK+ actions, in Poland compared to the EU27+2 average. Values are shown in per cent.

Please note, the data used in this page and the corresponding country profile was collected in February 2025.