OSCE criticizes Poland for online campaign. What next? Politicians want to take away NASK's disinformation research

• The OSCE published a report on the observation of the elections in Poland. The observers negatively assessed the supervision of the campaign on the Internet.
• This includes the case of advertisements supporting Rafał Trzaskowski. Observers believe that there was a lack of transparency in reporting on them.
• Politicians from both sides are saying that it's time to reform NASK. The institution should be stripped of powers related to disinformation.
• Will there be resignations in connection with the report? Our interlocutors assure us that everything is on hold until the vote of confidence in the government is renewed. The Prime Minister announced a vote for June 11.

Lack of transparency and the risk of lowering public trust in state institutions - such allegations were presented by OSCE observers in a report after the presidential elections , including against NASK. This concerns activities related to counteracting disinformation on the web, including the campaign of sponsored ads on Facebook, which supported Rafał Trzaskowski, while at the same time attacking Karol Nawrocki and Sławomir Mentzen.

Possible Attempt to Interfere in Elections. But What Exactly Does That Mean?

Based on the analysts' report, on May 14, NASK issued a warning about a possible attempt to interfere in the election campaign. However, no details have been disclosed to this day. For over two weeks, the CIS has been asking for the content of the report prepared by the analysts. NASK argues that it cannot disclose it because the document is the property of the Ministry of Digital Affairs. The ministry, on the other hand, has consistently failed to answer questions about it.

Let us recall: the campaign referred to by the OSCE was described first by Wirtualna Polska. The editorial staff established that around PLN 420,000 was spent on advertising and indicated a network of connections leading to American institutions. The Demagog Association later proved that similar campaigns were also conducted in Spain, among other places. The researchers also pointed to a coincidence - when the campaign began, Trzaskowski's staff's expenses dropped.

The matter was also commented on by members of the House of Representatives from the Republican Party, who demanded that Ursula von der Leyen explain the issue of "illegal financing" and linked the campaign with the Democratic Party in the USA.

NASK report after the elections on the Internet? "Putting the wool over your eyes"

As determined by WNP, NASK is to prepare a report on disinformation on the web in June . In a conversation with us, this was confirmed on Tuesday (June 3) by Paweł Olszewski, Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs, responsible for cybersecurity.

The study is to be based on about 100 technical reports prepared by NASK Disinformation Analysis Center analysts during the campaign. Only a few of them were to concern serious threats to the information space. However, as our sources in the institution claim, the report is a game of distraction - it will be only a general summary and will not show details regarding the financial flows in the campaign .

And these are the most important ones. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe writes in its post-election report that the ads came from "third parties of unclear origin and financing". They also describe a second campaign, run by the Facebook account "Let's Choose the Future". According to OSCE observers, the entity behind it will pay PLN 220,000 between May 18 and May 24, and a total of PLN 804,000 between April 24 and May 28.

Observers of the institution have serious reservations about the way NASK reported on these activities. In their opinion, the reaction was delayed and inconsistent. There was also a lack of "transparency regarding the findings and actions taken". NASK only informed that the case had been forwarded to the ABW.

As our sources at both NASK and MC claim, the blame for communication conducted in this way lies with the Ministry of Digital Affairs.

What's next for NASK? Investigative committee and limitation of competences

Will there be a change in NASK after the elections? We asked the Chancellery of the Prime Minister about possible resignations, but we have not received an answer to this day. Our sources claim that there will be no changes in the ministries until the vote of confidence in the government announced for June 11 (and if the Prime Minister defends himself during the session, until the reconstruction announced by him).

- If anything, Tusk has Olszewski on his list to cross out, as he was Trzaskowski's staff officer - one source close to the government tells us. However, an important coalition politician claims that there are no lists yet. The deputy minister for cybersecurity himself comments: - I have nothing to reproach myself for.

Perhaps, however, there will be a majority for the idea of ​​a parliamentary commission of inquiry to clarify the issue of financing campaigns supporting Rafał Trzaskowski. Such an initiative is suggested by Law and Justice MPs.

Janusz Cieszyński, former Minister of Digital Affairs and PiS MP, argues that it is also time for a serious reform of NASK. - It should be stripped of competences related to disinformation. A separate institution should be established for this purpose under the supervision of the State Electoral Commission and the Sejm's Digital Affairs Commission - he argues.

Similar voices can also be heard in the current management of the ministry. As we hear from one of the politicians, the analysis of disinformation should be transferred to the competence of the Internal Security Agency. - This would be natural, since the only thing NASK can do is to pass on a notification there - our interlocutor assesses. He also adds that the supervision of politicians over such a sensitive matter is a ready recipe for trouble.

This is not the first time that the NASK unit dealing with disinformation has stirred controversy. In the previous term, the government commissioned analysts to check what was being said on the internet about PiS and the then government. The value of this work was estimated by the NASK director appointed by the new coalition at PLN 538,000. This amount became the basis for the State Electoral Commission to question the financial report of Law and Justice.