Ordo Iuris in a battle against censorship on the Internet. There will be a lawsuit against Google

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The lawyers of the Ordo Iuris Institute have filed a lawsuit against Google on behalf of Paweł Lisicki. The reason is that the programmes run by the journalist are described as allegedly spreading "hate speech". The TV channel wSensie.tv, where the programmes appeared, was previously blocked by the YouTube platform. This is one of many cases of censorship of Catholic and conservative content by the administration of social network portals.

The removal of two episodes of the 'Wierzę' programme by Paweł Lisicki and Marek Miśko took place in August this year. The programmes presented the teaching of the Church on the ideology of the LGBT movement. According to the administration of the portal, they allegedly spread "hate speech". The channel wSensie.tv was blocked, initially for three months. The possibility of publishing further content was restored after the intervention of Ordo Iuris. YouTube decision on wSensie.tv did not indicate whether it was not allowed to present the teachings of the Church on the platform altogether or whether the reason for blocking the programmes was because of their content or title.

The Institute's lawyers sent a pretrial summons to Google, in which they sought an apology from the authors. Due to the lack of reaction from the management of Google, an action was brought for the protection of Paweł Lisicki's personal rights which were violated by "attributing to his work certain terms that suggest its negative character".

"On behalf of journalist Lisicki, we demand that Google stop further infringements, namely that the owner of YouTube refrain from removing and blocking content involving the claimant. We also requested that the court oblige Google to apologise to journalist Lisicki in writing and to publish the text of the apology on one quarter of the YouTube.com homepage. - commented Tomasz Chudzinski, an advocate, from Ordo Iuris.

Blocking wSensie.tv and removing journalist Lisicki's materials have not been the only manifestations of censorship recently. In recent months, YouTube has suspended the TV channel wRealu24.pl, blocked the material with the homily of Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, and limited the Facebook coverage of many Christian and conservative profiles. Ordo Iuris lawyers are analysing the submitted applications and wherever possible, they take legal action in matters related to ideological censorship.

Advocates Tomasz Chudzinski and Jerzy Kwaśniewski are working on the case on behalf of Ordo Iuris.