Poland is to ban photography of thousands of sites, including ports, railways, bridges and government offices, under sweeping new national defense laws aimed at preventing espionage.
The new regulation to be introduced on April 17 will make it illegal to take photos of around 25,000 sites across the country, with only 3% of the locations considered military facilities; the rest are civilian infrastructure.
The law is in response to rising national security concerns in Poland and Europe, following numerous EU attacks linked to Russia and its proxies since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.
Breaking the ban could result in fines, arrest or the confiscation of equipment.
But critics argue that the rules are vague and could affect ordinary people rather than real spies.
“We’re invited to a bridge opening by the investor; we can film during the press event—but three seconds later, we’re not allowed to take pictures without permission,” Robert Stachnik, a photojournalist from Radio Szczecin, told Polish broadcaster Polsat.
The law is in response to rising national security concerns in Poland and Europe, following numerous EU attacks linked to Russia and its proxies since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.
Breaking the ban could result in fines, arrest or the confiscation of equipment.
But critics argue that the rules are vague and could affect ordinary people rather than real spies.
“We’re invited to a bridge opening by the investor; we can film during the press event—but three seconds later, we’re not allowed to take pictures without permission,” Robert Stachnik, a photojournalist from Radio Szczecin, told Polish broadcaster Polsat.
