SloveniaThe Slovenian Information Commissioner, under Kristina Kotnik Šumah, has ruled that the birth years of recipients of Borčevski pensions are considered personal data not directly related to public spending and therefore not in the public interest. This decision follows a request by the media to disclose this information, which was previously provided by the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (ZPIZ) in 2023, including names, surnames, and amounts. In 2024, ZPIZ refused to release birth years, citing privacy concerns. The media filed a complaint, and the Information Commissioner issued a ruling within two days, rejecting the request as unfounded. The commissioner argued that disclosing birth years infringes on individuals' right to privacy, despite the media's claim that such data could verify eligibility for state benefits. Previously, in 2023, ZPIZ had disclosed birth years of beneficiaries, including those who were elderly during World War II. The media now faces the possibility of filing a legal challenge against the Information Commissioner’s decision.
Bias read (Center): The article presents both sides of the issue: the media's request for transparency and the Information Commissioner's argument for privacy rights. It does not take a clear ideological stance but reports on the conflict between public interest and individual privacy. The framing remains balanced, and
