During a recent visit to America by Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, a number of photos taken by the press were posted to the State Department’s Flickr page, including those containing the PM’s daughters Laura, 16, and Alba, 13. In America, this isn’t an issue, but Spain holds laws that deny the media from publishing such photos.
Meghan McCain, daughter of Senator John McCain, has expressed sympathy for Zapatero’s daughters, who have come under intense scrutiny during the short time their photos were available on the Internet. The photos have since been taken down at the request of the Spanish government, but as you know, once something makes it to the ‘Net, it’s there to stay.
In America, the issue of privacy is a thorny one. We can reasonably expect to have it in certain places, such as in our homes and in public restrooms, but nearly everywhere else is covered by some sort of surveillance. We may all have gotten used to it, but seeing how stringently the Spanish government protects the children of famous people does seem to point up at least a desire for a similar level of security in this country.
President Obama’s daughters are no stranger to the attention of the media, and it’s likely this will continue for the rest of their lives. They will have to learn to endure the continual pressure of being public figures, regardless of what they may wish for otherwise. Is this okay? Celebrities understand the deal before they get into it, but their kids don’t necessarily have the same context, and it can radically change the way they perceive reality. Should America draft some new privacy laws for the children of the famous?
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