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).
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
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).
Schools in Messinia at the Heart of Digital Awareness
From March 31 to May 7, the NGO Homo Digitalis visited 11 primary and secondary schools across Messinia, bringing education and awareness on internet safety closer to students.
During the workshops held in Arfara, Dorio, Eva, Thouria, Kalamata, Kyparissia, Pylos, Filiatra, Finikounda, and Chora, a total of 554 students engaged with key issues of the digital world, such as: cyberbullying, online safety, recognition and understanding of deepfakes, and responsible use of social media.
Raising awareness and informing both children and adults is a vital step toward a safe and healthy experience in the digital space.
The initiative was supported by the “Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos” Foundation and it will continue with new sessions from September to December 2025.
If your school is located in Messinia and would like to host these free educational sessions, please contact the Homo Digitalis team at info@homodigitalis.gr.
The 8th NGI TALER Open Call for Funding is Here! Help Us Spread the Word!
Do you have a groundbreaking idea for a free software or privacy-enhancing project that supports the mission of NGI TALER? Did you miss the first seven funding calls? No problem!
The 8th Open Call for funding launched on June 1, 2025, and you have about two months to apply! The deadline is August 1, 2025, at 12:00 noon (Central European Time).
We are looking for proposals that will revolutionize digital payment systems and contribute to an open, trustworthy, and secure internet for all.
Funding amounts range from €5,000 to €50,000! Whether you’re an SME, academic, public institution, non-profit, community group, or individual, we want your innovative ideas!
You can support GNU Taler by:
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Developing supporting tools,
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Improving user experience,
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Integrating with free/open source applications,
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Strengthening infrastructure (e.g., merchant subsystems),
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And much more!
For more information about this and other calls by NGI – The Next Generation Internet, visit their website.
Read the full Call for Proposals, the Applicant Guide, the Eligibility Criteria, the FAQ, and submit your application through the NLnet Foundation website.
Join the TALER Integration Community Hub (TALER ICH) developed by petites singularités, to ask questions and connect with others.
Need inspiration? Check out 14 successful projects already working with us here.
Our Joint Action with Reporters United & Vouliwatch: The Cameras at the Polytechnic Threaten Personal Data
On March 29, 2025, the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) installed surveillance cameras at the Zografou Campus and the Patission Complex without informing the public about its data processing policy for students and staff.
On May 26, 2025, Vouliwatch, Reporters United, and Homo Digitalis jointly submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request to determine whether NTUA complies with the law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other national regulations. A similar request was also submitted by 61 Architecture students.
NTUA may not be fully complying with Articles 12, 13, 35, and 36 of the GDPR, which ensure transparent information for data subjects, data protection impact assessments, and the obligation of prior consultation.
In our request, we explain that NTUA has not responded to student and staff inquiries about how their personal data is being processed, and we request access to the government’s confidential security plan for universities.
In our request to NTUA, we also seek to know who is being recorded by the cameras, where their data is stored, and whether this data is being shared with the Hellenic Police (ELAS).
NTUA has a deadline to respond to our request by June 15, and to the students’ request by June 19. We will continue to monitor the issue and will follow up with further reporting. Our organizations’ FOI request and information provision document is available here.
Homo Digitalis Successfully Participates in TEDxPatras Representing NGI TALER
On May 17, Homo Digitalis had the great honor of participating in TEDxPatras at the Conference and Cultural Center of the University of Patras, proudly representing NGI TALER!
We delivered a 40-minute workshop, during which we had the opportunity to discuss digital payments, business models that track consumer behavior for profit, the relevant legal framework, and the importance of reshaping the future of digital payments with a focus on privacy protection and promoting free software solutions like GNU TALER (Taler Systems S.A.).
Our presentation also highlighted the ongoing funding calls under the NGI TALER project, as well as the academic materials that have been developed and are freely available on the NGI TALER website.
Alexandra Giannopoulou and Eleftherios Chelioudakis represented Homo Digitalis at this event.
We warmly thank the organizers for the opportunity to participate!
Homo Digitalis Speaks Once Again at CPDP!
Homo Digitalis participated once again in the largest international conference on data protection, Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP), with a talk on the panel “Protecting the Digital Rights of Asylum Seekers and Refugees”, organized by the Centre for Fundamental Rights – Hertie School!
Eleftherios Chelioudakis, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Homo Digitalis, represented us as a speaker on the panel, alongside Francesca Palmiotto (IE University), Derya Ozkul (University of Warwick), and Joanna Parkin (EDPS – European Data Protection Supervisor) on Friday, May 23.
Congratulations to the organizing team at the Hertie School and to Ida Reihani for the excellent collaboration!