We filed a complaint against Alphabet before the European Commission under the provisions of the DMA, together with five organizations.
European Digital Rights, ARTICLE 19, Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte e.V., Vrijschrift.org, and Homo Digitalis filed a formal complaint against Alphabet Inc. under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) before the European Commission.
Despite the DMA’s clear gatekeeper rules:
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On Android, users still cannot truly uninstall Google’s pre-installed apps; they can only disable them, which leaves them on the device. Yet Alphabet misleads users by claiming this is the same as removing an app. It is not.
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The disable option is buried deep in the settings and, when users do find it, Android displays vague and intimidating warnings that discourage them from switching to alternative apps, making it harder to move away from Google’s ecosystem.
We are facing a textbook case of deceptive design, which restricts user choice and reinforces Alphabet’s gatekeeper position.
With our complaint, we call on the European Commission to investigate Alphabet’s practices and order the company to fully respect end-user rights under the DMA.
You can read our complaint on EDRi’s website here.
Homo Digitalis contributes to two EU consultations on the Data Strategy and high-risk AI systems
Last Friday, July 18th, Homo Digitalis submitted detailed input to two public consultations launched by the European Commission.
The first consultation focused on collecting targeted input from stakeholders regarding the implementation of the AI Act (2024/1689) rules for high-risk AI systems. According to Article 6(5) of the AI Act, the Commission must publish guidelines on the practical implementation of the high-risk classification rules by February 2, 2026, accompanied by a list of practical examples of both high-risk and non-high-risk AI systems. Additionally, Article 96(1)(a) requires the Commission to provide guidelines on the application of obligations and responsibilities for high-risk AI systems, including those across the AI value chain, as defined in Article 25. In its submission, Homo Digitalis provided practical examples of AI systems from Greece and other countries, and highlighted key issues that should be clarified in both the classification and compliance guidelines.
The second consultation addressed the EU Data Strategy. Its three goals are to: 1) boost investment in data technologies and promote data sharing through voluntary or funded initiatives; 2) streamline existing rules and develop data tools to reduce administrative burdens; and 3) shape an international data strategy that ensures safeguards for data transfers outside the EU and encourages data inflows into the EU.
In its response, Homo Digitalis raised strong concerns about potential undermining of personal data protection under the pretext of simplification, flexibility, and competitiveness. The organisation reaffirmed its position that fundamental rights must be strengthened through the use of new technologies and rejected the framing of existing legal frameworks as a barrier to innovation. According to Homo Digitalis, the challenges lie primarily in the lack of enforcement and resources, not the laws themselves.
You can read our full submission for the first consultation here.
We thank the drafting team, Stavrina Chousou, Niki Georgakopoulou, Sofia Antonopoulou, and Eleftherios Chelioudakis, for their valuable contributions.
You can read our full submission for the second consultation here, edited by our Executive Director, Eleftherios Chelioudakis.
Homo Digitalis Participates in the 1st Consultation Forum of the Ministry of Digital Governance on the AI Act
On July 2, 2025, Homo Digitalis participated in the 1st Consultation Forum titled: “The Implementation of the AI Act in Greece”, organized by the Ministry of Digital Governance and Expertise France.
The event was held in the context of the TSI Technical Support action “Integrating AI Technologies in the Greek Public Administration”, funded by the European Commission (SG REFORM). Its aim was for the Ministry to gather valuable information, exchange views with stakeholders, explore best practices, challenges, and prospects, and present its proposal for the implementation of the AI Act and AI governance in the country.
Homo Digitalis was invited to participate in the roundtable discussion of the thematic session “Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector”, which focused on the challenges and opportunities of implementing AI systems by public sector entities in Greece.
During the event, we submitted our written views on the questions raised in the thematic session to the Ministry, distributed copies of our statements to relevant decision-making bodies, and presented them orally as part of our contribution during the roundtable discussion.
We sincerely thank the organizers and speakers of the event for including us and giving us the opportunity to share our positions! Homo Digitalis was represented by Eleftherios Chelioudakis, Co-founder and Executive Director of Homo Digitalis, who also is the editor our statements.
You can view our written positions here (in EL).
Homo Digitalis spoke at the 2nd International Conference of ATI dedicated to Democracy and Social Justice.
Homo Digitalis participated in the 2nd International Conference of the Alexis Tsipras Institute
Konstantinos Kakavoulis joined academics, professionals, politicians, and activists from Greece, the European Union, and the United States. He spoke about the need to strengthen the protection of digital rights in modern democracies, on a panel that attracted great interest. Among the distinguished speakers at the event were Bernie Sanders, Michael Sandel, Jeffrey Kopstein, and many others. The speech is available at the link here.
We warmly thank the organizers for the invitation and for the excellent discussions we had during the event!
Joint Declaration for the Creation of a Human Rights Protection Network in the Development & Use of AI Systems – GAIN
We are proud to announce the official launch of a collaborative and inclusive network, committed to the protection and promotion of Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law in the development and use of Artificial Intelligence systems in Greece.
The network was born out of a multi-stakeholder dialogue initiated during the February 2025 event organized by Homo Digitalis, in light of the implementation of the European Artificial Intelligence Regulation (Regulation 2024/1689).
The text of the Declaration is available here.
The mission of the network is to serve as a space for collaboration, advocacy, legal interventions, and public awareness, ensuring that AI systems in Greece comply with fundamental rights and democratic values, as enshrined in the Greek Constitution, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights.
The working title of the network is Greek Artificial Intelligence Network – GAIN. The founding conference, which will take place within three (3) months, will determine the network’s governance framework, guiding principles, and future direction.
The initiative is coordinated by Homo Digitalis, with the support of the European Artificial Intelligence & Society Fund (EAISF), and is open to any interested organization.
If you are interested, you can fill in the participation form here.
Founding organizations of the network (in alphabetical order):
Ανοιχτό Εργαστήριο Αθήνα | Open Lab Athens
Δίκτυο για τα Δικαιώματα του Παιδιού | Network for Children’s Rights
Ε.Κ.ΠΟΙ.ΖΩ.Ένωση Καταναλωτών «Η Ποιότητα της Ζωής» | Consumers’ Association “The Quality of Life” EKPIZO
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΟ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΠΡΟΣΦΥΓΕΣ | GREEK COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES
Οργανισμός Ανοιχτών Τεχνολογιών – ΕΕΛΛΑΚ | Open Technologies Alliance (GFOSS)
ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΑΣΤΥΝΟΜΕΥΣΗΣ copwatch.gr
DATAWO
HIAS Greece
Homo Digitalis
I Have Rights
KnowledgeRights21 (National coordinator for Greece and Cyprus)
OmniaTV (iCase Κοιν.Σ.Επ.)
Reporters United
Solomon
Vouliwatch
WHEN Equity Empowerment Change
WWF Greece
Homo Digitalis successfully completed its presentation at a conference of the Ministry of Justice & the Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens on Artificial Intelligence
On Monday, June 16, 2025, the Ministry of Justice hosted a conference on “Artificial Intelligence in Justice”!
In the third discussion panel titled “Limitations and Risks”, Homo Digitalis was represented by Stefanos Vitoratos, Co-founder of Homo Digitalis and Partner at Digital Law Experts (DLE).
The discussion was moderated by Sophia Papadimitriou, with speakers:
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Lilian Mitrou, Professor at the University of the Aegean, President of the Institute for Privacy Law, Personal Data and Technology
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Ioannis Angelou, Administrative Court Judge, PhD
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Aris Dimitriadis, Member of the Ethics Committee of the AI Catalyst Group, Executive Director of Regulatory Compliance and Corporate Risk Management at OTE Group
The conference was organized by the Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens, with the support of the AI Catalyst Group!
We spoke to the newspaper Kathimerini about the use of drones by municipalities
The municipalities of Kifisia, Agia Paraskevi, and Aigaleo have decided to deploy drones in order to protect municipal property from vandalism and to address juvenile delinquency.
In an article by journalist Alexia Kalaitzi for the newspaper Kathimerini, published in early June, Homo Digitalis provided relevant statements!
Is the use of drones by a local authority for the purpose of tackling delinquency lawful? Are citizens’ personal data protected when drones fly—sometimes in ways that may make their presence imperceptible—in public spaces, that is, in more than 150 points of interest, covering every neighborhood or even outside residents’ balconies?
Read more here.
We warmly thank the journalist for her interest in our work! Statements on behalf of Homo Digitalis were provided by our Executive Director, Eleftherios Chelioudakis.
We call the Greek DPA to temporarily block the inclusion of the Personal Number on new ID cards until the necessary risk mitigation measures are implemented!
Since June, the Hellenic Police (EL.AS.) has been issuing ID cards that display the Personal Number (P.A). for citizens who already have one. As of tomorrow, June 28, 2025, it will no longer issue an ID card to any citizen who is eligible for a P.A. but has not yet completed the required issuance process.
In its Opinion 1/2025, the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) states that displaying the P.A. on ID cards poses risks and must therefore be accompanied by specific mitigation measures.
However, despite the fact that the Greek State proposed certain measures to the HDPA, which were approved as appropriate, it has failed to implement them, thereby exposing citizens to severe risks of identity theft.
For example, one of the proposed measures was the adoption of legal provisions prohibiting private entities from keeping photocopies of ID cards. This legislative step must be paired with coordinated and intensive public awareness campaigns to ensure that citizens know they should not allow copies of their physical ID to be retained.
At the end of its analysis, the HDPA concludes that, since the risks associated with including the P.A. on ID cards remain, once a sufficient period has passed during which mitigation measures are applied and public authorities are equipped with the necessary tools for digital reading of the P.A., the display will no longer be necessary and the obligation to display the P.A. on the ID card should be lifted.
For these reasons, on Friday, June 20, we submitted a formal request (Ref. No. Γ/ΕΙΣ/5621/20-06-2025), urging the HDPA to exercise its powers under Article 58(2)(f) of the GDPR, and impose a temporary restriction on processing, by prohibiting the display of the P.A. on ID cards until the essential mitigation measures are properly in place to address the significant risks arising from this practice.
Our request is available here (only in EL).
Homo Digitalis participates in 2 thematic workshops of the City of Athens OGP Local
On May 18, at Serafio, Homo Digitalis had the great pleasure of taking part in two thematic workshops organized by the City of Athens OGP (Open Government Partnership) Local Working Group. The workshops focused on Universal Accessibility in Physical and Digital Spaces and Transparency, Accountability, and Participatory Budgeting.
Through a shared methodology of gathering proposals, clustering ideas, and voting, under the coordination of Alexandros Melidis, General Director of the Greek Free Open Source Software Society, we had the opportunity to discuss and jointly decide on a series of particularly interesting proposals.
Our organization was represented in the two thematic discussions by Lamprini Gyftokosta and Eleftherios Chelioudakis, respectively.
We warmly thank the members of the Working Group responsible for designing and implementing the action plan for the City of Athens’ participation in OGP Local, for their kind invitation and excellent collaboration — including Ioannis Fytros, Angelos Kaskanis, and Stefanos Loukopoulos.