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involved a complainant who, after being interviewed by a magazine, disputed the
contents of the article published by it which he alleged to contain fabricated
information. The AAB considered that “the Ordinance protects the personal data of an
individual and not fabrication” and “a lie or a fabrication always remains a lie or a
fabrication and can never be converted into personal data”. The definition of personal
data clearly excludes any fabrication or lies told about a person.
11
The AAB also
commented that if the complainant was so badly misquoted or misreported, it might
justify an action in defamation.
12
11
The rationale was followed in
AAB No. 49/2005
.
12
In
AAB No. 4/2015
, the AAB took the view that an inaccurate personal data may be, at the same time, a lie or
fabrica
tion.