Polish Minister Accuses Meta of “Darkest Form” of Censorship Amid Deepfake Scam Dispute

By Staff, Agencies

Poland’s Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has accused Meta of censorship after Instagram temporarily blocked the account of Polish billionaire and InPost founder Rafal Brzoska, who had been criticizing fraudulent AI-generated advertisements using his identity.

“This is censorship in its darkest form,” Gawkowski said, accusing Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, of benefiting from advertisements that misuse people’s identities while placing responsibility on anonymous advertisers.

Brzoska’s Instagram account was temporarily blocked shortly after he publicly criticized Meta over a fraudulent Facebook advertisement featuring an AI-generated image of him in handcuffs surrounded by police. His account was subsequently restored.

Gawkowski said the dispute represented a much broader issue than the treatment of a single businessman.

“This is a matter of the safety of millions of Poles who can lose their savings through fraudulent advertisements, deepfakes and fake investments,” he said, arguing that Meta has both the technology and resources needed to prevent such material from being distributed.

Brzoska’s wife, Omenaa Mensah, has also previously pursued legal action against Meta over fraudulent advertisements that used her name and photographs to promote nonexistent investment opportunities.

In 2024, Poland’s data protection authority ordered Meta to temporarily suspend advertisements using Brzoska’s personal data after he complained that deepfake material was being circulated without adequate verification.

Earlier this year, a Polish court ruled in Brzoska’s favor in his ongoing dispute with Meta over the platform’s responsibility for fraudulent advertisements.

Gawkowski said the Polish government intends to push major online platforms to take greater responsibility for user safety. He added that his ministry is preparing legislation aimed at implementing EU regulations governing digital platforms.

Meta had not publicly responded to Gawkowski’s accusations at the time of the report.