Polsat News interested in the publication of thieves’ photographs, 4 September 2009

The programme entitled „Interwencja Extra” („Extra Intervention”) broadcast on Polsat News TV station on 4 September 2009 focused on the fact in which situations images of persons violating the law can be published.

One of the guests was Michał Serzycki, the Inspector General for Personal Data Protection.

The discussion in the studio was preceded by a report of Artur Borzęcki, presenting the cases in which shopkeepers or salesmen from petrol stations had decided to post up the images of thieves. The report also referred to the issue of publishing the photos of football hooligans on the Police website for the purposes of identifying them.

During the talk with Michał Bebło, GIODO explained that the issue should be considered in the context of provisions other than the Act on Personal Data Protection. For it is specific regulations on this matter that determine the situations in which the publication of images of persons violating the law is admissible.