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Poland Signs World's First Anti-Trash-Streaming Law — Up to 5 Years in Prison

July 21, 20264 min readSource: Polskie Radio

Poland has become the first country in the world to enact a dedicated law targeting trash streaming — the broadcasting or recording of violent, criminal, obscene, or degrading content purely to attract views and generate revenue. President Karol Nawrocki signed the bill into law on July 17, 2026, after it was overwhelmingly approved by both houses of parliament with cross-party support.

The law targets anyone who publicly distributes online content depicting the commission of a criminal offence — whether through a live stream or a recorded upload — for financial or personal gain.

Penalties at a Glance

General offences

Up to 5 years

Streaming crimes, animal abuse, or degrading acts for financial/personal gain

Minors involved

3 months – 5 years

Distributing prohibited content that depicts offences committed against minors

What Content Is Now Illegal to Stream

The legislation applies to recordings and live broadcasts depicting serious crimes punishable by at least five years in prison under Polish law. Specifically, the following categories are prohibited:

  • Violent crimes against life, health, or personal freedom
  • Sexual offences and crimes against family welfare
  • Humiliation or degrading treatment of a person — even with their consent
  • Animal abuse or the killing of animals
  • Illegal gambling activities
  • Any serious crime punishable by at least 5 years under Polish law

Key detail: The humiliation or degradation clause applies even when the person being degraded gives their consent — consent is not a legal defence under this law.

What Is Trash Streaming?

Trash streaming is defined under the new Polish law as the recording, publication, or live broadcasting of vulgar, obscene, shocking, or violent material — typically designed to attract views and generate revenue on social media platforms. The phenomenon has grown significantly across Twitch, YouTube Live, Kick, and TikTok Live over the past several years, prompting legislative responses across Europe.

Poland's law is notable for being the first to target the monetisation of such content as a specific aggravating factor — not just the content itself, but the act of profiting from it. It covers both live broadcasts and pre-recorded uploads distributed publicly online.

How the Law Passed

The legislation had rare bipartisan backing. Separate proposals were submitted by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party and the governing Civic Coalition (KO) before being merged into a single unified bill during parliamentary proceedings. Both houses of parliament approved it overwhelmingly before it reached President Nawrocki's desk.

What This Means for Streamers

1Polish streamers on Twitch, YouTube, Kick, or TikTok Live face direct criminal liability for broadcasting prohibited content — not just platform bans.
2International streamers broadcasting to Polish audiences may fall within the law's scope depending on enforcement jurisdiction.
3The 'degradation with consent' clause is particularly significant for adult content creators who film voluntary acts — consent does not exempt them.
4Platforms operating in Poland could face pressure to proactively moderate and remove content that now constitutes a criminal act under local law.
5This is the first law of its kind globally — other European countries are watching closely, and similar legislation is being discussed in Germany and France.

Source: Polskie Radio — Polish President Signs Bill to Ban Trash Streaming · IAR, PAP

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