Deputy President of the PL SA on the challenges of content moderation and fighting disinformation
On March 5, 2026, the Disinformation Analysis Center of the NASK National Research Institute presented its report on mechanisms for reporting disinformation on social media platforms at the Europa Experience Center in Warsaw. The event was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski and the Director of the NASK National Research Institute, Radosław Nielek.
The purpose of the report, which was presented during the event, is to present the response of social media platforms to incidents reported by the Disinformation Analysis Center of the NASK National Research Institute in 2025, as well as to identify the main problems and challenges in this area. The report includes internal reports from the daily monitoring of social media conducted by the Disinformation Analysis Center of the NASK National Research Institute seven days a week, as well as external reports sent by citizens, institutions, or services using external forms on the websites: nask.pl, bezpiecznewybory.pl, and to the e-mail address: dezinformacja@nask.pl.
The conference provided an opportunity to discuss the key conclusions of the report and to talk about the current challenges related to countering disinformation in the digital space. As part of the event, Deputy President of the Personal Data Protection Office Agnieszka Grzelak, PhD, took part in a panel discussion on moderation and transparency of social media platforms.
The panel participants emphasised the importance of transparency in the activities of social media platforms and effective mechanisms for responding to misleading content.
During the debate, the Deputy President of the Personal Data Protection Office pointed out that information manipulation is largely based on the use of personal data and mechanisms for precisely targeting messages. She pointed out that in the practice of the data protection authority, there are cases showing how user data can be used to profile recipients of specific content or advertisements, including those that use the image of public figures or mislead recipients—also using the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence. At the same time, she emphasised that although European regulations on the digital environment are developing dynamically, there are still gaps in the transparency of how algorithms work and how content is distributed on the internet. As she pointed out, without adequate transparency, there can be no effective protection of personal data or real freedom of speech.
Agnieszka Grzelak also pointed out the importance of cooperation between public institutions in counteracting disinformation and protecting users in the digital space. She underlined the need for the correct and timely implementation of European Union legislation and for equipping the relevant national authorities with practical tools for action, as well as for effectively combining the competences of institutions responsible for personal data protection with entities analysing phenomena in the information environment. In this context, she gave a positive assessment of the latest analyses prepared by the Research and Academic Computer Network (NASK), emphasising that the NASK report very reliably shows the scale and mechanisms of the spread of disinformation on the internet. As she pointed out, only institutional cooperation and greater transparency of digital platforms can effectively strengthen the protection of users in the digital information ecosystem. She added that it is also necessary to introduce fast tracks for reporting high-risk violations, the obligation to clearly justify platform decisions, and real appeal options for users. This also requires the adoption of appropriate national legislation to enable the full application of existing EU regulations, including the Digital Services Act (DSA).