SNS Presents Amendment Reintroducing Right to Rectification in Media

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - The Slovak National Party (SNS) has submitted to Parliament an amendment to the Act on Publishers of Publications and Media and Audiovisual Register reintroducing the right to rectification and introducing new obligations for news portal operators in relation to online debates. According to SNS, the amendment should bolster the protection of personality rights and increase media transparency. The right to rectification would replace the current right to expression in the media. "The right to rectification allows individuals and legal entities to request the publication of corrections of false or incomplete factual statements that affect their honour, dignity and reputation," explained SNS spokeswoman Martina Skopcova. As for the obligations concerning debates at online news outlets, the amendment stipulates that operators of these websites would be obliged to obtain and verify the identification data of individuals participating in the debates. The data would be kept for the purpose of proving the identity of debaters, if necessary. The proposed changes are SNS's reaction to recent cases of people who approved the recent assassination attempt on the premier in online debates. zel/mcs