The Personal Data Protection Office recognised at the Global Privacy Awards 2025

The Personal Data Protection Office of Poland has been honoured on the international stage, receiving a distinction in the prestigious Global Privacy and Data Protection Awards 2025. The award was granted in the “Education and Awareness” category for the project “A Child’s Image Online: To Publish or Not?”, carried out in collaboration with the Orange Foundation. The official announcement of winners and honourees took place during the 47th Global Privacy Assembly (GPA), held from 15–19 September 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. The Personal Data Protection Office was represented at the conference by President Mirosław Wróblewski and Maria Owczarek, Director of the Personal Data Protection Office’s International Cooperation Department.

Global Privacy Assembly – The World’s Leading Data Protection Forum

The GPA is an annual gathering of data protection and privacy authorities from around the globe. This year’s edition in Seoul was hosted by South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) and brought together regulators, experts, and partners from international organisations. The conference featured both closed sessions for GPA members and public events addressing key privacy challenges – from emerging models of targeted advertising and artificial intelligence to the development of global data protection standards.

A highlight of the programme was the Global Privacy and Data Protection Awards, which celebrate initiatives by supervisory authorities worldwide in the fields of education, innovation, and enforcement.

“A Child’s Image Online” – A Polish Initiative with Global Recognition

The Personal Data Protection Office’s award-winning project is a guide titled “A Child’s Image Online: To Publish or Not?”, developed jointly with the Orange Foundation. The publication aims to raise awareness among adults – including parents, teachers, and institutions working with children – about the risks associated with sharing images of minors online.

The guide highlights that photos and videos of children, even shared with good intentions, can lead to serious threats such as online hate, cyberbullying, identity theft, or unauthorised use of a child’s image. It offers practical advice on how to formulate consent for publishing images, debunks common myths surrounding image rights, and suggests key questions to consider before posting content online. It also explains concepts such as “sharenting” and “troll parenting”, and proposes alternative ways to portray children on social media without compromising their privacy.

International Recognition

The distinction awarded to the Personal Data Protection Office is a testament to the global appreciation of Poland’s educational efforts in personal data protection. As President Mirosław Wróblewski emphasised, the award is not only a prestigious achievement but also a confirmation of the importance of protecting children’s images. “In the digital age, every photo shared online can take on a life of its own. Our project aims to make adults aware that every click of ‘publish’ carries responsibility for a child’s privacy and dignity,” said Mirosław Wróblewski.

Poland in the Dialogue on the Future of Privacy

The Personal Data Protection Office’s participation in GPA 2025 and the recognition it received reflect Poland’s broader commitment to international cooperation in data protection. The Seoul conference demonstrated that education and public awareness are just as vital as regulation and technological tools in safeguarding privacy.

Through initiatives like “A Child’s Image Online: To Publish or Not?”, Poland contributes meaningfully to the global conversation on children’s rights in the digital world – and serves as an example of how law, ethics, and practical solutions can be effectively combined to protect personal data.