Stop sharing!”/ Commissioner for Personal Data Protection responds to widespread posting of intimate videos of public figures on social media

Following the publication and sharing of intimate material involving several public figures in Albania on social media and online news sites, the Office of the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Personal Data Protection, Besnik Dervishi, has called on media outlets and internet users to stop posting it.

The commissioner stressed that public figures also have a right to privacy and that public curiosity about someone’s intimate life does not, in itself, constitute a public interest that justifies publication. The statement also emphasized that the fact material has already appeared online does not make its republication or redistribution lawful.

The Commissioner’s Office warned that unlawful processing of personal data could lead to administrative and criminal penalties and called for intimate content published in violation of the law to be removed.

“In light of recent posts in the media and on social media concerning alleged intimate material, the Office of the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Personal Data Protection calls on media outlets, online news sites and social media users to respect every individual’s privacy and dignity.

Law No. 124/2024, ‘On the Protection of Personal Data,’ prohibits the processing of such content. Its publication and distribution are also prohibited.

Being a public figure does not mean giving up the right to privacy. Curiosity about an individual’s intimate life is not enough to justify publishing details of it as a matter of public interest. Freedom of expression and information must be exercised in accordance with the conditions set out in Article 43 of the law, including necessity, proportionality and protection of the essence of fundamental rights.

The fact that material is circulating online does not make its republication lawful. Each time it is shared again, it can increase the exposure and harm suffered by those affected and their families.

Anyone who unlawfully processes personal data is subject to administrative and criminal penalties.

The Commissioner’s Office calls for an end to the publication and redistribution of intimate material in violation of the law and for unlawfully published content to be removed,” the Commissioner’s Office wrote.