A recent survey found that 85% of Polish adults view false information online as a major threat, ranking Poland among the highest for concern across 25 countries. This perceived threat has risen sharply since Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, with a notable 20-point increase in those identifying disinformation as a major issue. While the median share of concern across all surveyed countries is 72%, Poland, along with Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, the US, and South Korea, stands out as having more individuals seeing disinformation as the top threat.
Additionally, 60% of Poles recognize infectious diseases and 59% cite terrorism as significant threats. Dariusz Jemielniak from the Polish Academy of Sciences highlighted the ease of generating synthetic content through AI as exacerbating the disinformation problem. Age and political affiliation influence perceptions of disinformation; older adults are more concerned than younger ones, and supporters of right-wing populist parties often express less concern about it.
Jemielniak anticipates an increase in both the prevalence of disinformation and countermeasures to combat it, emphasizing the risk posed by synthetic media, particularly during crises. Officials in Poland have raised alarms about the political ramifications of disinformation, with significant concern about its impact on younger voters. The Deputy Digital Affairs Minister stated that while Poland cannot eradicate disinformation, efforts will be made to mitigate its adverse effects, particularly against narratives spread by Russia and Belarus.
