Many members of Homo Digitalis who live in Belgium organized important meetings with Greek MEPs arguing against Article 13 of the new copyright directive of the EU.

Representatives of large civil society organizations that have taken significant actions on the protection of human rights in the modern digital age were in the European Parliament these days.

All together we gave a loud message against internet censorship and against violation of privacy and freedom of expression and information.

The number of MEPs who have committed to vote against Article 13 on Tuesday’s vote (26/03) is rising. Independent MEPs or representatives of European parties from every political area such as Greens-European Free Alliance(Greens-EFFA), European United Left-Nordic Green Left(GUE-NGL), European People’s Party (EPP), Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe(ALDE) have openly expressed their opposition to Article 13.

We must unite our voices to claim our rights!

We sent an open letter to call on MEPs in the European Parliament Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) to oppose to the introduction of mandatory fingerprinting for national identity cards.

Mandatory fingerprinting is prescribed in the proposal for a Regulation on strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement.

The voting is on 11th March.

Homo Digitalis had the pleasure and honour to participate at the annual developing strategy meeting, by the organisation Digital Freedom Fund in Berlin. The most prominent civil society organizations at Member State level of the Council of Europe took part in the meeting, focusing their attention on the protection of human rights in the digital era.

Representatives from 48 organisations, including our co-founder Lefteris Chelioudakis, exchanged views and planned future joint actions in sectors, such as the interventionism of national law enforcement authorities through the use of new technologies (face identification systems, algorithmic profiling, video camera applicable to human body), net neutrality and the implementation of the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The meeting lasted two days and our organisation had the opportunity to create new alliances and to share ideas and knowledge with specialists from the sector. Our warm thanks to the organisation Digital Freedom Fund for inviting us to take part. Homo Digitalis is the first Greek organisation invited to this meeting.

Following the two-day meeting, a consultation with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Mr. Philip Alston, which Homo Digitalis had also the honour to attend. Discussions on issues concerning the digital services of a welfare state, the negative effects of the automated decisions and the use of algorithms also took place.

On 21 February 2019, Homo Digitalis had the honour, upon invitation of the Special Regulatory Committee of the Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, to meet with the Committee and to present its views regarding the Draft Law, which incorporates the GDPR and the EU Directive 2016/680.

Our organisation was represented by Konstantinos Kakavoulis and Stefanos Vitoratos, who advocated for the adoption of provisions who would enhance citizens’ protection.

Discussions will continue within the next few days.

On 18 February 2019, Homo Digitalis submitted a proposal for an amendment to the Draft Law on Personal Data Protection, implementing the General Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and incorporating Directive 2016/680/EU.

Specifically, Homo Digitalis proposed the inclusion on the Draft Law of the provision article 80, paragraph 2 of the GDPR. The provision provides that the described non-profit bodies regardless of any conferment by the data subject, meaning without his command, could:

-have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority (DPA in Greece)

-have the right to effective judicial redress against a legally binding decision of the supervisory authority (DPA in Greece)

-and have the right to effective judicial remedy against a controller or processor.

We consider that the adoption of the provision of GDPR Article 80, paragraph 2 is particularly important for non-profit bodies in Greece, as Homo Digitalis, to act as enforcement bodies and guards for the strict implementation of the law for personal data and to defend the rights of the data subject. The financial crisis that plagues Greek society in recent years, makes it particularly difficult and unsustainable for citizens to bear the cost for claiming their rights. Therefore, the paramount protection for data subject’s rights from abuses of natural and legal persons will be achieved through the establishment of rules that enable, under the EU legislator’s recommendations, non-profit bodies to act independently and without being subject to the need for relating assignments and mandates.

It is recalled that Homo Digitalis had submitted an open proposal on 20 April 2018, addressed to all Members of the Greek Parliament.

The proposal was notified to the President of the special regulatory Committee for the draft law on the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the incorporation into the national law of Directive 2016/680/EU, Mr. P. Filopoulos, and the members of the committee, to the President of Greek Parliament, Mr. N.Voutsis, and to the Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, Mr. M.Kalogirou.

We are very optimistic that the proposal of Homo Digitalis will be seriously taken into consideration and the provision of paragraph 80, paragraph 2 will be incorporated in the final draft law.

You can read the proposal of Homo Digitalis in Greek here.

January 28 has been established as the European Data Protection Day by the Council of Europe. The members of Homo Digitalis created a video explaining what do personal data mean for them.

Introductory meeting between Homo Digitalis and the Greek Data Protection Authority

Homo Digitalis had the pleasure of meeting the representatives of the Greek Data Protection Authority. Present at the meeting were the Chairperson of the Authority Mr K. Menoudakos, also Mr V. Zorkadis (Director of the Secretariat) and E. Athanasiadis (Communication Manager). Homo Digitalis was represented by E. Vamvaka, Mr K. Kakavoulis and Mr E. Mandrakis.

We discussed the broader context of the personal data protection and privacy in our country and in particular the results of the first period of application of the GDPR and the compliance of Greek stakeholders with it.

We also turned our attention to the feedback that the Authority receives from the citizens regarding the protection of their personal data. We acknowledged the importance of the Authority’s mission and the relevant challenges and we consider necessary the reinforcement of the Authority with the requisite human and economic means.

The Authority applauded the presence of an NGO, which occupies with the protection of digital rights and can reinforce the dialogue within civil society and emphasise their importance in Greece. Both sides sought possibilities for cooperation directed to the enhancement and protection of these rights.

Homo Digitalis supports the important work carried out by the Data Protection Authority. We are optimistic that our action and through continued cooperation we will contribute to its mission.