Robert Szustkowski, a renowned philanthropist and
businessman, calls for the introduction of new personal image
protection standards within the EU. In light of growing concerns
related to misinformation and violations of individual rights, the
proponent of this initiative highlights the urgent need to
establish clear guidelines aimed at preventing unjust accusations
and defamation of individuals, companies and institutions.
WARSAW, Poland, May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- His appeal stems
from personal experiences, as he has been the target of a smear
campaign that resulted in significant social and professional
consequences. "In today's reality, labeling a private
person or entrepreneur with a Russian tag even without any evidence
- means business death and the disgrace of personal reputation.
It's worse than a crime" emphasizes Robert Szustkowski.
Despite numerous legal battles and Polish court rulings in 2020
that cleared him of all suspicions and accusations of "ties with
Russia and foreign state
services," as well as public apologies in major Polish
newspapers, he continues to suffer from harassment. Therefore, he
now calls for the implementation of new personal image protection
standards in EU countries, stressing that accusing individuals
without credible evidence violates their rights and harms their
reputation.
The new social initiative announced by Robert Szustkowski in
Switzerland involves proposing an
extension of the European legal directive known as the "Right to
be Forgotten" to media, allowing individuals to request the
removal of outdated or false information about themselves from
internet search engines.
Szustkowski suggests establishing a Readers' Ombudsman
mechanism (similar to the British institution of the Reader's
Editor, which operates in many editorial offices) in the media.
This would allow accused individuals to present their version of
events and request corrections or editorial notes to the articles.
His initiative aims to introduce standards of transparency and
accountability in media communications and support fairer social
principles.
In light of current challenges related to misinformation and
external threats, the EU must prioritize the protection of
individual rights. The pursuit of new personal image protection
standards can contribute to a more balanced and just society within
the European Union, claims Szustkowski.
The initiator highlighted that media, by making baseless
accusations about the past of many businessmen, divert readers'
attention from the real problems, such as justified concerns in the
European Union about misinformation and the actions of groups
linked to foreign governments, introducing false information into
the public information space.
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