Rome, 30 January (LaPresse) – The Data Protection Authority, in a statement, ‘condemns the behaviour of media outlets and websites which, in reporting on the tragic case of Chiara Poggi, continue to disseminate images, names and details that exceed the legitimate purposes of providing information’. The Authority has been following the evolution of the case from the perspective of personal data protection for some time and has already intervened within the scope of its powers. ‘However,’ it emphasises, "the progressive increase in the level of detail with which some articles and television reports reconstruct facts, personal contexts and individual profiles leads the Authority to draw the media's attention to this issue, even though investigations are still ongoing. The repeated publication of such elements, in addition to degenerating the news into a morbid spectacle, conflicts with the principle of essentiality of information and violates personal data protection legislation and the ethical rules of journalists." Respect for the individual and their dignity, the Authority reiterates, is an insurmountable limit to reporting and must be guaranteed not only to the victim, but also to their family members, suspects and all persons who, in various capacities, are involved or referred to in media coverage. The Authority, reserving the right to take any measures it deems appropriate, therefore calls on all media outlets and websites to strictly comply with current legislation and the Rules of Professional Conduct, so that the right to report news does not result in the undue exposure of personal data and the violation of people's dignity.
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