Guidelines for Media - The Office of the Personal Data Protection Inspector continues working on the document in cooperation with the Council of Europe experts

2017-04-05 11:33:26

The Office of the Personal Data Protection Inspector continues working on the guidelines for media in cooperation with the Council of Europe experts. The guidelines are aimed at promoting the balance between the right to privacy and the freedom of expression.

The underlying principle of the balance is to reconcile the two fundamental rights in media activities. That is, on the one hand, endorsing the freedom of expression and informing society and on the other hand, protecting individuals’ right to privacy.

Finding the right balance is of utmost importance in the age of internet and social networks. Rapidity and the scale of dissemination of information generates challenges for the protection of individuals’ right to privacy.

On 5 April, 2017 representatives of the Office of the Personal Data Protection Inspector and the Council of Europe experts held a meeting with all stakeholders. Representatives of the television and radio broadcasters, online and print media, the Charter of Journalistic ethics and Media Development Fund discussed the draft document, the practice and existing challenges for personal data protection, self-regulation mechanisms and the principles of application of these self-regulation mechanisms in practice. It is the second visit of the Council of Europe experts in Georgia within this framework.

Georgian Law on Personal Data Protection does not cover the data processing for editorial purposes, therefore, recommendations elaborated in cooperation with the Council of Europe experts will have recommendatory power.