Protecting the image of public administration employees - a new publication by Dr Rafał Guzowski.

Dr Rafal Guzowski, Programme Director of the Internal Security and Criminology course at the College of Vocational Training, has published an article entitled 'The importance of internal security and criminology'. Public servant's image in social media - principles of publication, limits to civil liberties and the right to protection of image in publishing SIM - Studies and Materials of the Marszalek Józef Piłsudski Central Military Library.

The purpose of the periodical SIM is to create an interdisciplinary research platform for those interested in contemporary problems of the military, its history, national defence, as well as library science and scientific information in the context of the military. The publication is an essential resource for experts in law, public administration and security science in the broadest sense.

Social media and the image of public administration employees

In this article, Dr Guzowski analyses the growing importance of social media in shaping the image of public administration employees. In the age of digitisation and the information society, public sector employees are increasingly becoming the subject of recordings and publications on the internet - often without their consent.

The author emphasises that while social media is a key channel of communication, it also carries the risk of misinformation and hectoring. We are increasingly seeing the phenomenon of officials recording interventions and publishing them online by citizen journalists. This practice raises questions about the limits of civil liberties and image protection.

When is it legal to publish an image?

Copyright law clearly sets out the rules for the publication of an image - as a general rule, its dissemination requires the consent of the person depicted. There are, however, exceptions, particularly in the case of well-known persons or those holding public office.

The article discusses cases in which the publication of an official's image may violate his or her rights, as well as situations in which it is lawful. The author also addresses the problem of abuse and the need to protect privacy in the context of official duties.

Labour Code and publication of image by the employer

In addition to the issues related to the publication of the image by third parties, the article also addresses the obligations of employers under the Labour Code.

Dr Guzowski emphasises that any publication of a photograph or recording of an employee by the employer requires the employee's explicit consent. In the context of public administration, where the image of civil servants often appears in the media, it is extremely important to follow procedures related to the processing of personal data.

Legal remedies in the event of an image violation

If a public employee considers that his or her image has been used unlawfully, he or she can avail himself or herself of several forms of legal protection, such as:

• a request to cease dissemination - the aggrieved person has the right to request the removal of photographs and recordings from websites;
• remedying the infringement - an undertaking by the publishing entity to make an official apology or correct the content;
• financial compensation - in some cases, the person whose image has been unlawfully used may claim monetary compensation.

RODO and the protection of the image of public administration employees

One of the key issues addressed in the publication is the impact of the RODO provisions on image protection.

In the context of European law the image can be treated as personal data and in some cases even as biometric dataif it enables a person to be unequivocally identified. This means that the unauthorised processing of an image - e.g. the publication of photographs of officials without their consent - can entail serious legal consequences.

Why should you be interested in reading this publication?

Dr Rafał Guzowski's publication is an important analysis of the contemporary challenges of protecting the image of public administration employees. In the age of the digital society, where anyone can become an object of recording and media debate, it is necessary to working out the balance between civil liberties and the protection of privacy and workers' rights.

Article in Studies and Materials of the Central Military Library sheds new light on the issue and provides valuable guidance for both public administration employees and their employers.