Press Council approves complaint against Zentralschweiz am Sonntag
In September 2011, the Zug edition of *Zentralschweiz am Sonntag* published a detailed report on Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg’s new apartment in Zug. In the opinion of the Swiss Press Council, this constituted a violation of his privacy.
The September 18 report contained details of the street, size, furnishings and price (5.5 million francs) of Vekselberg's new apartment in Zug; it was illustrated with a picture of the construction site. On September 26, Vekselberg's lawyer complained to the Press Council. The report had violated privacy and thus the "Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists".
The editors took the position that Vekselberg was a public figure and had communicated the move to Zug himself. The question of which apartments people of contemporary history move into is of public interest in view of issues such as housing shortage, real estate prices and lump-sum taxation. Regarding the mention of the address, the newspaper said that in the small area of Zug, the place of residence of celebrities is known even without newspaper articles.
Naming the street exceptional
The Press Council, on the other hand, in its decision published on Tuesday, is of the opinion that the naming of a private address in a media report is extraordinary and capable of violating privacy even if identifying reporting is permissible. Access is made much easier and carries the risk of unwanted reactions. Although the house number was not mentioned, it is said further, but with the information about the street, the name of the superstructure and with the picture of the shell of the building, the address is easy to find out even for those who do not know it anyway. And to discuss the given issues, it is not necessary to mention the name of the street.
The Press Council therefore concluded that the naming of the street and the publication of the picture was disproportionate and violated privacy. The complaint was thus upheld. (SDA)
