Polish government in anti-ACTA hacking protest storm

PM Tusk before meeting with ministers: photo - PAP/Radek Pietruszka

After the hacking protest which closed down Prime Minister Tusk’s web site over the weekend, the Polish government has said that it will enter into a “period of consultation” before deciding whether to ratify the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

PM Tusk met with his digital and cultural ministers Monday afternoon after web sites of parliament, culture and defence ministries came under attack from cyber protesters, who claim the proposed international ACTA agreement is a violation of freedom of expression.

Digital minister Michal Boni said at a press conference today that “there is a difference between signing the document and its ratification,” suggesting that the government would still sign ACTA on January 26 in Tokyo, as planned, but that it will depend on the national parliament whether to ratify it.

He added that the agreement would not change Polish law.

Earlier Boni admitted that it was a “mistake” not to have consulted with civil society wider before signing an act which only came to the public’s attention last week.

Opposition to the agreement has come from both the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and conservative Law and Justice (PiS).

PiS has called for greater consultation with the public before signing the trade agreement this week.

The political storm follows a hacking campaign into government websites over the weekend in protest against the plans.

The group that organised the attacks, Anonymous, argues that the proposed new law would increase the power of the state and corporate bodies outside of Poland to interfere in domestic internet services.

ACTA is the non-US equivalent of PIPA and SOPA legislation in the USA, which has incurred the wrath of Wikipedia and Google, amongst others.(pg/jh)