The former head of Formula One is seeking to gag the media using a law never intended to limit press freedom.
As we all know the General Data Protection Regulation comes into effect in all EU member states on 25th May. However, currently there is a court case which throws up the time old debate about freedom of expression balanced against safeguarding privacy and private data which could bring a whole new side to data protection that we have not encountered yet. At one extreme, almost all information held in media databases might need to be the subject of regulation and perhaps deletion unless it can satisfy stringent public interest criteria. Against that, if the media are required to comply with overly stringent controls on holding data, they will not have the information at hand to research and perhaps publish newsworthy items of public interest. From society’s point of view, control of the safety of such data is important, but such control does need to be weighed against freedom of expression and the freedom of the press to research and publish matters of public concern and interest.
