Poland is imposing strict restrictions on schoolchildren
Poland is preparing several strict measures to protect children online and in schools, including restrictions on access to adult websites and a ban on smartphones in educational institutions. The new rules are set to take effect on September 1 and will apply to both public and private schools. Authorities explain that the measures are aimed at ensuring children’s safety and helping them focus on their studies.
The Polish government has approved a package of laws that significantly changes the rules for children online and in schools, effectively tightening the screws where, as officials say, “the digital world has long since spiraled out of control.” At the same time, the country is introducing restrictions on smartphone use in schools and stepping up the fight against dangerous online content, including pornography and fraud.
Poland’s Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Hawkowski, explained that the new regulations are designed to prevent children from accessing harmful websites and to ensure that illegal content is removed much more quickly. According to him, the average age at which Polish children first encounter pornography is just under 11 years old, and this was one of the main arguments for the changes. “We are implementing an anonymous age verification system that will not collect data on which websites a user visits, but will only confirm that they are of legal age,” said Gawkowski, emphasizing that this is about striking a balance between safety and privacy.
A separate set of changes concerns the rapid blocking of illegal content—ranging from materials depicting sexual violence to fraud schemes and the theft of personal data. Decisions to remove such content will be made promptly but under judicial oversight to prevent abuse.
Another key step is banning or significantly restricting smartphones in schools. The law gives educational institutions more freedom in how exactly to regulate students’ use of phones and allows for bans not only during classes but also during breaks. “We want children to be less distracted by screens and to interact more with each other,” the minister explained, adding that this should also reduce dependence on constant notifications and gadgets.
Education Minister Barbara Nowacka clarified that the new rules will take effect on September 1 and will apply to all schools without exception. At the same time, there will still be certain situations where smartphones will be permitted—for example, for medical reasons or if their use is necessary for the educational process at the teacher’s discretion. According to the government, similar restrictions are already partially in place in more than half of Polish schools, and public support for such measures is high—about 85% of citizens, according to polls, support controlling smartphone use in educational institutions.
In fact, Poland is betting on stricter digital discipline for children, combining two approaches at once—control of online content and restrictions on gadgets in students’ real lives. This was reported by RMF24.
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