WARSAW, June 11 (Reuters) – Polish lawmakers voted on Thursday to crack down on so-called ‘trash streaming’, imposing jail terms of up to five years for online broadcasts of crimes like rape and murder as well as cruelty to animals and violence aimed at humiliating people.
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.
The European Union regulates illegal content and live-streamed crimes through the Digital Services Act (DSA), requiring platforms to swiftly remove material that promotes violence or severe harm.
Holding the creators of such content responsible is, however, regulated by individual countries.
(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Editing by William Maclean)
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