UOKiK officials, armed with court orders and backed by police officers, conducted spectacular searches at the headquarters of four powerful entities: Credit Information Bureau (BIK), ING Bank Śląski, mBank and mBank Mortgage.
Raid in the spotlight of scrutiny and statutes
The regulator’s hard entry is the result of an investigative procedure that UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny initiated back in February 2025.
In a world of AI algorithms and advanced data analytics, the risk‑calculation mechanism has become a tightly guarded black box.
BIK, a private company controlled by the Polish Banking Association and nine commercial banks, operates in Poland as the sole monopoly collecting the complete credit history.
The audit must prove whether this unique position was used to create a system that, instead of protecting the market, simply stifled free competition.
See also: UOKiK hits a mass of companies in Poland! Harmful substances found in their products
Penalty for financial prudence?
The spark of the whole case is the so‑called credit inquiries. When a consumer wants to take on a long‑term obligation, the natural step is to submit applications at several places to compare margins and fees. The banking system could, however, treat such a client as a high‑risk petitioner.
The number of inquiries sent by banks to BIK directly lowered the consumer’s score.
As a result, a rational, savings‑seeking Pole received a worse credit rating than someone who reflexively chose the first better parent bank’s offer.
UOKiK President verifies whether the banking machinery deliberately sabotaged customers, discouraging them from migrating and searching the market.
The Office wants to clearly establish whether collecting such detailed data about the very stage of comparing offers is even necessary to assess whether Kowalski will repay the debt.
See also: Auction house employees raised art prices themselves. UOKiK revealed unfair practices
Algorithmic monopoly under scrutiny
The market regulator is simultaneously investigating a second, equally serious thread, namely the potential abuse of BIK’s dominant position. As the only entity with a complete stream of credit data in the country, BIK has special legal and social responsibility.
The information‑exchange architecture must not become a tool for market cementing in favor of its banking owners.
Security measures in the form of searches send a clear signal to financial institutions that jokes are over. During them, documentation and digital data carriers were secured.
According to procedures, entrepreneurs had an absolute duty to let inspectors in and provide all databases and source code of scoring models.
At the current stage, the investigative procedure is ongoing “in the matter”, meaning that none of the institutions has yet faced official charges. If, however, the collected evidence confirms a systemic agreement limiting competition or unlawful use of market advantage, UOKiK will launch a full antitrust proceeding.
Then huge money will be at stake. For practices violating competition‑law protection, the Office President can impose fines on banks and BIK reaching up to 10% of their annual turnover.
For institutions dealing with billions of zlotys, this threat immediately chills shareholders’ blood on the stock exchange. The banking sector stands on the brink of a forced, transparent revolution in risk modelling.
See also: Price cartel in Polish stores. UOKiK President: “Five years of overpaying”. Check if you lost money
Source: Office of Competition and Consumer Protection
