Poland’s Justice Ministry is considering legal action to stop Facebook from blocking nationalist organisations’ and their members’ pages, a senior official has said.

Twitter banner for 5 November protest outside Facebook's Warsaw HQ reads: Freedom of Speech for Nationalists - Stop Censorship. Photo: Twitter.com/Marsz Niepodległości @StowMarszN

Deputy Justice Minister Patryk Jaki accused the social media giant of censorship, which he said was “outrageous”.

Facebook’s reported decision to block the pages comes ahead of Poland’s Independence Day, which falls on 11 November and is typically marked by marches organised by nationalist organizations and others in the country’s capital.

Tens of thousands annually take to the streets on the day, which has in recent years ended in outbreaks of violence and clashes with police.

Nationalists are planning a 5 November protest outside the social media site’s Warsaw offices.

Jaki said the justice ministry should take advantage of its “probably limited” legal options to fight Facebook’s decision.

He criticised Facebook for allowing posts which he said are vulgar, offensive to the Catholic Church or refer to communist ideology while banning “Polish patriotic slogans”.

“Only one side of the political dispute is being harassed … Something is evidently not right with freedom and democracy,” Jaki said.

Meanwhile, Poland’s digital affairs minister Anna Streżynska said: “In the case of Facebook I am acting as I see fit and as is reasonable, within the law and my powers, to solve the problem rather than inflame it.” (vb/pk)

Source: PAP