Article under a common formula and involve similar principles related to the functioning of a democratic society. Thus, two important standards for the dissemination of information about potential private life issues relate to: a) the different threshold of protection for public officials, especially those who are popularly elected, for public figures and individuals, and b) the public interest in the actions taken. 60. The different threshold of protection of public officials is due to the voluntarily exposure of these persons to the scrutiny of society, which leads to an increased risk of damages to their right to private life. In this case, it involved a person who held the highest elective public office in his country, President of the Nation, and therefore was subject to greater scrutiny not only regarding his official activities or the exercise of official functions, but also regarding aspects that, in principle, could be linked to his private life but revealed matters of public interest. 61. Moreover, in regard to the public interest, in its jurisprudence the Court has reaffirmed the protection of freedom of expression of opinions or information on matters in which society has a legitimate interest of being informed, to know what affects the functioning of the State, or to know what affects general rights or interests or entails major consequences. 48 In this case, both the Commission and the representatives stated that, for various reasons, the information was of public interest, and thus its dissemination was justified (supra paras. 18 and 23). 62. The information on the existence of the unacknowledged child of Mr. Menem, and the latter's relationship with the child and his mother constitute an inseparable and central element, and the main cause of the facts published by the magazine Noticias that reported on: a) the provision of large sums of money to these people by the highest ranking public official of the country, b) the delivery to such persons of expensive gifts, and c) the alleged existence of negotiations and economic and political favors to Mrs. Meza’s former husband. This information relates to the integrity of political leaders, and without the need to determine the possible use of public funds for personal purposes, the existence of large sums and costly gifts on behalf of the President of the Nation, as well as the possible existence of negotiations or interference in a judicial investigation, are issues that involve a legitimate social interest. Due to the foregoing, for this Court, the information released by the magazine Noticias is of public interest, and its publication called attention to exercise social control and legal proceedings in respect to such acts. 63. Moreover, it arises from the body of evidence in this case that the information on the "family ties" of the President and the possible paternity regarding Carlos Nair Meza had been disseminated in different media streams, at least two years prior to publication in the magazine Noticias in 1995. Indeed, in 1993 a book was published entitled El Jefe. Vida y obra de Carlos Saúl Menem [The Chief. Life and Work of Carlos Saul Menem], which tells in detail of the relationship between Mr. Menem and Mrs. Meza when he was moved inside the country under the military regime and the birth of their son in 1981; the agreements made by the parents, which included Menem sending money and silence on behalf of the mother, the campaign for a provincial representative by Mrs. Meza under the slogan “[si Menem] no le da de comer a su hijo, que va a hacer por el país”; "[if Menem] does not feed his son, what will he do for the country]; the offer made by Mr. Menem to recognize the child and the opposition of his 48 Cf. Case of Tristán Donoso V. Panamá, supra note 35, para. 121. 21