Insights from our Celebration event: The Greek Data Protection Authority's Speech
In the first live talk of our 5 Years of Homo Digitalis & 20 Years of European Digital Rights celebration event a few weeks ago at The Benaki Museum, we had the great honor to host a presentation by Dr. George Rousopoulos, Computer Engineer, Specialist Scientist of the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (DPA)!
Mr. Rousopoulos spoke in detail about the importance of the active presence of civil society organizations in democratic states, made reference to the way in which the provisions of the GDPR have led to the significant improvement in the level of protection of our personal data, but also to the challenges that arise during its implementation, when supervisory authorities remain understaffed and with reduced financial resources.
Furthermore, he highlighted some of Homo Digitalis’ significant successes, such as the EUR 20 million fine against CLEARVIEW AI and the revision of the provisions of Law 4624/2019, while underlining the importance of cooperation between supervisory authorities and the CSOs.
“In the new digital landscape, Data Protection Authorities need to be empowered to be able to support and drive the development of innovation that will bring real improvements to people’s lives. Indispensable allies in this work are civil society organisations fighting to strengthen our fundamental rights and freedoms, and to raise awareness among the wider public.”
Insights from our Celebration event: European Data Protection Supervisor's Speech
On 12/12/23 we celebrated our birthday at The Benaki Museum together with European Digital Rights (EDRi) by looking back on the important actions & unique successes we have achieved through exclusive volunteer activities during our first 5 years of operation!
Our contribution to the protection of Human Rights in the modern digital age was discussed in person or online by supervisory authorities, institutions, academics, journalists and civil society organisations!
Among them, we were honoured by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Dr. Wojciech Wiewiorowski , who accepted our kind invitation to deliver the opening speech of the event. EDPS spoke about the important contribution of Homo Digitalis and EDRi to the protection of personal data and privacy, the pivotal role of civil society organisations in defending democracy and the rule of law, and the need to cooperate with them.
We would like to thank EDPS and his office for the birthday greetings and the heartfelt speech. These words give us the strength to continue our work! You can enjoy a short excerpt of his speech or view the full EDPS positioning here.
We gave one of our greates interviews... in the school newspaper and the web channel of the 1st Model High School of Ilion
On Friday 15/12 Homo Digitalis gave one of the most beautiful interviews it has ever given!
Lambrini Gyftokosta and Konstantinos Kakavoulis talked about the digital footprint in the group of the school newspaper and the web channel of the 1st Model High School of Ilion!
We would like to thank teachers Chrysanthi Sotiropoulou and Ioanna Kassimi for hosting us and of course the students who impressed us with their questions and interest!
We wish the best to the young journalists and we are sure that we will have many more opportunities to meet them in the future!
You can read the article in the school newspaper here.
We spoke at the Legal Seminar 2023 on EU Law and Undocumented Migrants in Brussels!
On 29 and 30 November, Homo Digitalis’ Director for Human Rights and AI, Lambrini Gyftokosta, spoke at the “Legal Seminar 2023 on EU Law and Undocumented Migrants” organized by the Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) and Equinox: Racial Justice Initiative at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel!
The two-day seminar examined the intersection of racial profiling, policing and immigration control. We presented three of Homo Digitalis’ actions in Greece on digital rights violations, which further blurred the boundaries between criminal and immigration law.
We were joined on the discussion panel by an amazing group of experts, namely Selma Benkhelifa (Progress Lawyers Network-Brussels), Sara Traylor (Alarm phone) and Laure Baudrihaye-Gérard (moderator, independent expert).
We would like to thank PICUM and Equinox for the invitation and for organising such an event exploring the pitfalls of the current EU legal framework on immigration. It was a great honour to participate!!! You can read more about the two-day event here.
Our celebration event for the 5 Years Homo Digitalis & 20 Years European Digital Rights at the Benaki Museum was a great success
Our celebratory event for the 5 Years of Homo Digitalis and the 20 Years of European Digital Rights at the Benaki Museum last week was an absolute success and was, without a doubt, one of the most intense, moving and important moments we have ever experienced!!
We managed to bring together in just a few hours the voluntary work we have all done together over these 5 years to make our digital society a little better!
While we are preparing posts with great material of photos, videos, and presentations coming soon we wanted to say today a HUGE thank you to our event volunteers, Ariana Rapti, Charalampos Kyritsis, Yannis Marinakis, Avgi Saoulidou, Nikoletta Georgakopoulou, Alexandra Giannopoulou, and Sophia Antonopoulou, without whom we would not have made it!
Thank you to all our members, all & all of you, for these five years, for the dedication and seriousness you have shown to the organization!
Participation of Homo Digitalis with an intevention at the Public Consultation of the Competition Commission in the framework of its Final Report on the Sector Inquiry into the Provision of Private Health Care and Related Insurance Services.
On 30 November, the Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) organised a Public Consultation in the context of its final Report on the Sector Inquiry into the provision of private healthcare and related insurance services.
The President of Homo Digitalis, Elpida Vamvaka, received an honorary invitation from the Competition Commission and its Chairman, Mr. Ioannis Lianos, to attend this Public Consultation and to make a statement. We thank them warmly for their practical interest in the views of Civil Society!
In our statement we welcomed the initiative of Eur. Commission’s initiative to create the European Health Data Space (“EHDS”) and its intention to provide for common rules and interoperable data standards that will facilitate the exchange of health data when it is in the medical interest of patients.
At the same time, we have not failed to highlight the highly problematic new rules that will completely limit medical privacy and the reasonable expectations of privacy that citizens have when they trust their doctor.
You can read more on the website of the Hellenic Competition Commission here.
Participation in TechTalk Podcast
Last week we had the pleasure of participating in a very interesting, interdisciplinary discussion about Technology in the presentation of the new TechTalk technology podcast, where we discussed the topic of the first episode “What is Technology?”!
So how is technology designed, and how does it affect our lives? Is technology neutral? How can we regulate the exponential growth of technology after we’ve gotten used to it?
Elpida Vamvaka had the pleasure of having this discussion about Homo Digitalis with an excellent interlocutor Vasilis Vlachokyriakos, Professor at Newcastle University and founder of Open Lab Athens !
Thanks to Sociality and Open Lab Athens for the invitation! We look forward to the next ones! Read in detail what was discussed and listen to the first episode of the podcast here.
Our participation in the launching event of the TechTalk Podcast of Sociality and Open Lab Athens
We have a proposal for your Wednesday afternoon!
#TechTalk , a podcast* about technology is here! And we invite you to check it out before the episodes start!
On Wednesday 29/11 at 18:00 at red n’ noir (53 Drosopoulou Street, Kypseli) we are waiting for you to discuss “what is technology” really? Is our flush toilet technology? What is the difference between it and our mobile phone? How does it affect our lives?
Event Programme:
– Project Presentation | Antonis Faras, Sociality
– Presentation of Participatory Lab Results | Giannis Zgeras, Vily Mylona, Ph.D., Gregory Tsardanidis, Open Lab Athens
– Open discussion: “What is Technology” with Elpida Vamvaka, President of Homo Digitalis and Vasilis Vlachokyriakos, Professor, Newcastle University, !Open Lab – Newcastle University & Open Lab Athens .
Coordinated by Koutiva Nadiana, Sociality
*TechTalk is a project of Sociality in collaboration with Open Lab Athens and with the support of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Greece
We participated in the DFF's Berlin event on the use of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in our legal actions
Last week we participated in the workshop organised by DFF in Berlin focusing on the importance of using the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in our legal actions!
DFF launched the digiRISE project to raise awareness of the potential of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in defending and protecting digital rights.
The workshop was attended by Privacy International, Access Now, Share Foundation and many other civil society organisations.
Homo Digitalis was represented by Elpida Vamvaka, President of the Board of Homo Digitalis.
Many congratulations to the DFF team for the organization!