Read the Pocket Guide on Protecting Your Privacy During Protests
Today, Friday, February 28, marks two years since the Tempi train tragedy. Strikes and work stoppages have been organized across Greece and abroad to honor the memory of the 57 victims, demand justice, and hold those responsible accountable.
But what about your devices and personal data? How can you take steps to protect them during a protest?
Homo Digitalis, in collaboration with Software Makers, a nonprofit organization based in Heraklion, Crete, has translated and adapted the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) Pocket Guide to Greek legal and practical realities. The guide provides essential steps to take before, during, and after a protest to help you safeguard both yourself and your data.
We stand in solidarity and offer our unwavering support!
The guide is available for download and printing here.
Homo Digitalis is participating in the online informational event organized by Project Parenting
Are screens bad, or are we just using them wrong?
Homo Digitalis is honored to participate once again in the digital conference organized by Project Parenting, dedicated to parents. The event takes place today, Wednesday, February 26, from 17:30 to 22:30!
At 21:40, Lamprini Gyftokosta will represent our team, speaking on the topic: “Cookies and Parental Controls: Filter the information you and your child share to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.”
Registrations are free, and you can still sign up to attend a series of insightful talks by experts on various important topics.
We co-sign an CSO Open Letter on the proposed GDPR Procedural Regulation
As the trilateral negotiations at the EU level continue regarding the proposed regulation on additional procedural rules for the enforcement of the GDPR, we, together with European Digital Rights and 34 other Civil Society organizations, join our voices in an open letter to lawmakers!
We urge them to prioritize strong enforcement mechanisms that ensure individuals can effectively exercise their rights while highlighting the systemic weaknesses in the enforcement of GDPR provisions.
Read the open letter here.
4 million euros were spent by the Greek Police to issue fines related to violations of the Road Traffic Code
Back in 2019, we started one of our first actions in the field of artificial intelligence by bringing to light the Smart Policing program of the Greek Police in collaboration with Intracom-Telecom.
The purpose of this project? The purchase of 1,000 portable devices that would enable functions like facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, document identification, and license plate recognition in urban centers during police checks.
We acted promptly and, in March 2020, requested the Data Protection Authority to investigate the matter, as, according to our legal analysis, processing biometric data in the context of using these devices would not be legal.
Since August 2020, the Authority has been investigating the case. The State paid the 4 million euros, and the company delivered the devices to the Hellenic Police. The latest development was in October 2024, when the Hellenic Police decided, starting from the first quarter of 2025, to use the document/license plate recognition functions of the devices to issue fines for violations of the Road Traffic Code.
We are glad that our swift action and the investigation by the Data Protection Authority froze the use of the invasive facial recognition and fingerprint scanning functions of these devices. However, the relevant decision by the Authority must be published immediately.
The 4.5 years of investigation by the Data Protection Authority also reveal that the state must support the Data Protection Authority, as the high level of expertise of its inspectors is not enough, and more human and financial resources are needed. And all this without considering the increased workload expected in the coming years with the AI Act.
You can read more about this in our latest study on the AI Act, pages 51-54 here.
Homo Digitalis wore the vest of love participating in the "Seller for an Hour" action of the street magazine "Shedia
On Wednesday, February 5th, Homo Digitalis had the great honor of wearing the vest of love, participating in the awareness-raising action of the street magazine “Shedia.”
At the end of the “Seller for an Hour” action, we would like to extend a big thank you to all the people of Shedia, with whom we had the opportunity to learn about their important initiatives, and to jointly send a message against social exclusion and in favor of solidarity.
You can learn more about the important work and the people of the Shedia magazine here.
We sign a common CSO statement for the AI Summit on the protection of environment
Ahead of the AI Action Summit in France, 100+ civil society organisations from around the world have an urgent message for governments and industry leaders: The environmental and human costs of AI are too high – we need action now.
Our 5 key demands:
-Phase out fossil fuels
-Bring computing within limits
-Ensure responsible supply chains
-Enable equitable participation
-Advance meaningful transparency It’s time for AI to be sustainable, just, and accountable.
You can read our full demands here.
You can co-sign our common statement here.
The Hellenic Data Protection Authority Investigates DeepSeek
In a letter addressed to Homo Digitalis on February 5, following our January 30, 2025 request, the Audit and Security Department and the rapporteur auditor, Ms. F. Karvela, informed us that the Authority “has already initiated an ex officio investigation into the companies Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., in accordance with the provisions of Articles 57(1)(a), 58(1)(b) of the GDPR and Articles 13(1)(h) and 15(1) of Law 4624/2019.”
We eagerly await further information regarding the HDPA’s ex officio investigation, the progress of the procedure, and any developments in this case in the near future.
The sixth open call of NGI TALER is here! Submit your application!
Got a groundbreaking idea for free software and privacy preserving projects that complement our mission as NGI TALER? Missed our first 5 funding calls? No worries!
NGI TALER’s 6th Open Call is live since 1st of February 2025 and you’ve got almost two month to apply. The deadline is 1st of April 2025, 12:00 CET (noon).
We’re on the lookout for proposals that will revolutionize digital payment systems and contribute to an open, trustworthy, and reliable internet for all.
NGI TALER is offering funding between 5,000 and 50,000 euros! Whether you’re a SME, academic, public sector entity, nonprofit, community, or an individual – we want your innovative ideas!
For example, you can enhance GNU Taler by developing auxiliary tools, improving user experience,creating integrations into FOSS applications (think P2P micropayments in instant messaging, social media platforms, or video conferencing tools), or boosting infrastructure components (like merchant backends), to name a few ideas.
For more info about this and other NGI funding calls, you can visit the NGI – The Next Generation Internet’s website here.
You can read the detailed Open Call, Guide for Applicants, Eligibility Requirements, and FAQs on NLnet Foundation’s website here
Last but not least, you can join our TALER Integration Community Hub (TALER ICH) to discuss and get your questions answered here.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!
NGI TALER is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
We Gave the Most Interesting Interview to the Students of the Nikaias Primary School in Larissa for Data Protection Day
One of the most delightful and wonderful ways we celebrated World Data Protection Day was the online interview given by Lamprini Giftokosta from our team to the fifth-grade class of Nikaias Primary School in Larissa on January 28th! The questions were MANY!!!… ranging from what personal data means, what we are celebrating today, to whether artificial intelligence has a mind, if it knows everything, or if it makes mistakes.
The interview took place as part of a school competition in which the young journalists are participating. We eagerly await the article they will publish and wish them the best of luck!!!
We sincerely thank the educator Vili Karayiorgou and the Nikaias Primary School in Larissa for the flawless cooperation in this initiative.