Apply for the 2nd funding call of NGI TALER!
Make sure to apply to the second #funding call of NGI TALER until June 1st 2024 12:00 CEST (noon)!
Part of the budget of NGI TALER is reserved for open calls to fund free software and privacy preserving efforts that are aligned with the topics and approach of NGI TALER! We invite your contributions to help reshape the state of play of digital payment systems, and to help create an open, trustworthy and reliable internet for all!
We are seeking project proposals between 5.000 and 50.000 euro. The call is open to SMEs, academics, public sector, nonprofits, communities and individuals. You can contribute exciting new capabilities to GNU Taler itself, build auxiliary tools, work on user experience, develop integrations into FOSS applications and open standards (for example, enabling P2P micropayments in an instant messenger, open social media platform or video conferencing tool), or develop improvements to infrastructure components (like merchant backends)!
Visit the website of NGI – The Next Generation Internet for more information about this, and other NGI funding calls here.
Check NLnet foundation‘s website to read the detailed Open Call, the Guide for Applicants, the Eligibility Requirements and our FAQs and submit your form here.
Join now our TALER Intergration Community Hub (TALER ICH) to discuss together and ask your questions here.
We published our successful Report for the five-year period 2018-2023
In 2018, we started with 6 founding members, 25 volunteers and 1,000 euros in the organization’s account. Nobody knew us, but we knew what we wanted to achieve, what gap we were trying to fill, where we wanted to go.Today, we celebrate our 6 years of operation and publish our 5-year report, about everything we have achieved in the period 2018 -2023. The detailed Report contains the beginning of our story, information about the mission, vision and values of Homo Digitalis, and a thorough review of all our major successes by pillar of action, namely a) Awareness, b) Advocay , and c) Legal Actions and Interventions. Finally, in order to enhance transparency about our financial accounts, we have also included all of our Financial Reports for the entire five years period!
You can read our Homo Digitalis’ “Five Year Report 2018-2023” in Greek here or in English here. The report was curated by our Director on Human Rights and AI, Lambrini Gyftokosta.
Looking back we are happy, proud and excited, because until the summer of 2023, we: gained over 130 volunteers, have steadily increased our revenue by 353% every year, filed over 20 complaints with Greek and European authorities, managed to fine Clearview AI €20 million (the largest in Greece), visited more than 30 schools and raised awareness with our actions for more than 3500 students and citizens, gave more than 40 media interviews in Greece and Europe, supported more than 50 joint actions with other Greek and European organisations in the field of digital rights, acquired more than 10.000 followers on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X), published more than 150 articles of scientific, technical and legal interest on our website with the contribution of our volunteers, became the first and only organisation from Greece to be a member of EDRi, the European Digital Rights Network; and although we started as a purely voluntary organisation, we managed to hire our first employee!
On this journey we were not alone. One of our greatest successes is our collaboration with a large network of universities, organisations, institutions, research centres and all our member volunteers who helped us take our actions one step further!
Looking ahead we are optimistic. We are moving forward dynamically, conquering small and big goals that will bring us even closer to the world we dream of and want to build together!
We coordinate the Digital World Summit Greece web event "AI Board, Advisory Forum and relevant stakeholders: how are private and public sector actors shaping the implementation of the AI Act?"
We invite you to participate in the second Digital World Summit Greece web event on “AI Board, Advisory Forum and relevant stakeholders: how are private and public sector actors shaping the implementation of the AI Act?”, moderated by Homo Digitalis’ AI and Human Rights Director, Lamprini Gyftokosta!
️ Wednesday 17 April
⏲19:00
via YouTube Live, Facebook Live, LinkedIn Live
Speakers:
Tilemachos Moraitis – Government and Corporate Affairs Manager, Microsoft Greece,
Maria Alexandra Papoutsi – AI, Technology & Innovation Manager, KBVL Law Firm | Deloitte Legal
Yiannis Kanellopoulos – CEO, code4thought
Introductory Speech:
Elia Kostopoulou, Member Digital Dialogues
Want to receive a reminder with the event link in your email? Sign up now to join this interesting discussion about the future of our digital world here
We participated with great success in Infolaw 2024
Last Thursday 28 March we had the great honour and pleasure to speek at Infolaw 2024 “Regulating Digital Innovation: AI, Cybersecurity and Platforms” participating in the panel “AI: From Theory to Practice … on AI”.
We were represented there by our co-founder Eleftherios Chelioudakis, who spoke about the challenges posed by Articles 5 and 6 of the AI Act, FRIAs and the tools that civil society has at its disposal to address potential violations of the legal framework.
The panel was moderated by Lillian Mitrou, Professor at the University of the Aegean, Lawyer, and President of the Institute for Privacy, Data Protection and Technology Law with their participants:
-Spyros Vlachopoulos, Professor of Constitutional Law at the School of Law, University of Athens, Greece, Lawyer.
-Telemachos Moraitis, Head of Government Relations at Microsoft for countries in Southeast and Central Eastern Europe, and -Christian Law Professor, University of Athens, Faculty of Law, Law School of Physics and Lawyers, University of Athens, PhD, and -Telemachos Moraitis, Head of Government Relations at Microsoft for countries in Southeast and Central Eastern Europe, and
-Dimitris Kyriazis, Elected Assistant Professor of European Law, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
We would like to thank once again the organizers for the inclusion and the honorary invitation!
The Hellenic Data Protection Authority fines the Ministry of Migration and Asylum for the "Centaurus" and "Hyperion" systems with the largest penalty ever imposed to a Greek public body
Two years ago, in February 2022, Homo Digitalis had filed a complaint against the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum for the “Centaurus” and “Hyperion” systems deployed in the reception and accommodation facilities for asylum seekers, in cooperation with the civil society organizations Hellenic League for Human Rights and HIAS Greece, as well as the academic Niovi Vavoula.
Today, the Hellenic Data Protection Authority identified significant GDPR violations in this case by the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum and decided to impose a fine of €175.000 euro – the highest ever imposed against a public body in the country.
The detailed analysis of the GDPR highlights the significant shortcomings that the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum had fallen into in the context of preparing a comprehensive and coherent Data Protection Impact Assessment, and demonstrates the significant violations of the GDPR that have been identified and relate to a large number of subjects who have a real hardship in being able to exercise their rights.
Despite the fact that the DPA remains understaffed, with a reduced budget, facing even the the risk of eviction from its premises, it manages to fulfil its mission and maintain citizens’ trust in the Independent Authorities. It remains to be seen how long the DPA will last if the state does not stand by its side.
Of course, nothing ends here. A high fine does not in itself mean anything. The Ministry of Immigration and Asylum must comply within 3 months with its obligations. However, the decision gives us the strength to continue our actions in the field of border protection in order to protect the rights of vulnerable social groups who are targeted by highly intrusive technologies.
You can read our press release here.
You can read Decision 13/2024 on the Authority’s website here.
Requesting access to personal data stored by Europol: a guide
Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement cooperation agency.
Its main task is to receive, exchange and analyse information and data received from the national police authorities of EU Member States, international organisations such as Interpol, third countries and private companies. This is done in order to support national law enforcement authorities “in preventing and combating organised crime, terrorism and other forms of serious crime”.
But Europol’s powers have been steadily increasing over the last decade, which has led to it playing an increasingly important role in police activities and operations. This includes processing data on civilian activities, travel passengers, as well as third country nationals.
This guide is addressed to activists, lawyers and all interested individuals who wish to have access to personal data processed by Europol concerning themselves or their clients. The guide provides a brief overview of the relevant policy framework, as well as advice and information on the procedure for requesting access to personal data, relevant resources and a model application form.
This guide was produced by Romain Lanneau, Statewatch and Chloé Berthélémy, EDRi with contributions from Chris Jones (Statewatch), Jesper Lund (IT-Pol), Caterina Rodelli (Access Now) and Laure Baudrihaye. Translated into Greek by the Homo Digitalis’ team on a pro bono basis.
You can read the guide in other languages here.
We are participating in Infolaw 2024 to talk about AI and the AI Act
Lawspot.gr and the European Young Lawyers Association of Greece (ELSA Greece), organize the third InfoLaw conference entitled “Regulating Digital Innovation: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Platforms” on 28 March 2024 at the “Miltiadis Evert” Amphitheatre of Technopolis, Municipality of Athens. This year’s event is supported by Athens Legal Tech and the Hellenic Association for the Protection of Personal Data and Privacy.
Homo Digitalis is honored to be present, participating in Roundtable 1 | AI. The Roundtable is moderated by Lillian Mitrou, Professor at the University of the Aegean, Lawyer, and President of the Institute for Privacy Law, Data Protection and Technology with their participants:
-Spyros Vlachopoulos, Professor of Constitutional Law at the School of Law, University of Athens, Greece, Lawyer.
-Telemachos Moraitis, Head of Government Relations at Microsoft for Southeast and Central Eastern European countries
-Dimitris Kyriazis, Elected Assistant Professor of European Law, Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and
-our own Eleftherios Chelioudakis, Co-Founder and Secretary of the Board of Directors of Homo Digitalis
We would like to thank the organizers for the kind invitation, the opportunity to express our views and the inclusion! You can register to follow the very interesting discussions in person, and explore the rich programme here.
We participated at Alan Turing Institute's Workshop on th responsible governance of the use of AI in recruitment and employment’
On the 14th of March, our Director on AI and Human Rights, Lamprini Gyftokosta, participated in an online meeting organised by the Alan Turing Institute “Towards responsible governance of the use of AI in recruitment and employment’. Stakeholders from civil society, government, academia, and industry shared their views on best practices for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment and employment, including the development of standards in this field.
Findings from this workshop will help refine the direction and scope of an AI Standards Hub research project led by researchers from The Alan Turing Institute, which will aim to investigate the role of consensus-based standards in governing the use of AI in recruitment and employment across jurisdictional borders.
In Greece, the pilot “AI based strategic workforce planning tool for the public sector” as announced by the Minister of Digital Governance, is an initiative that will apply to more than 700.000 people when completed. As Homo Digitalis underlined during the workshop, harmonised standards in areas like recruitment and employment, even if voluntary, are necessary to create a culture of compliance to the new AI rules. The role of the Greek supervisory authority in enforcing the standards and the law will be paramount, especially since according to the Greek law implementing GDRP, the employees cannot authorise Homo Digitalis to submit a complaint on their behalf without disclosing their names, putting them in an impossible position.
Protect Not Surveil Campaign's Joint Statement: AI Act provisions are dangerous for vulnerable groups in the migration field
On 13 March 2024, the European Parliament adopted the EU Act on Artificial Intelligence (AI ACT).
Although the legislation is widely presented as a global first, the EU AI Act falls short in the important area of migration, as it does not prevent the high risks that exist and does not provide the necessary level of protection to vulnerable groups in society who are targeted by intrusive technologies in this area.
In its final version, the EU AI act sets a dangerous precedent. The legislation develops a separate legal framework for the use of AI by law enforcement, immigration control and national security authorities, providing unjustified ‘loopholes’ in the obligations set out in its text, and even encouraging the use of dangerous systems for surveillance of the most marginalised members of society.
Homo Digitalis, having in the last 4 years made significant legal complaints in this regard before the DPAA, as well as a series of educational, awareness-raising and co-determination actions at EU level in this regard, is following with particular concern the relevant developments.
As part of our active participation in the Protect Not Surveil campaign, together with all its members, we have published a joint statement outlining the main gaps in the protection of vulnerable groups in the field of migration identified in the text of the AI Act.
You can read the text of our joint statement here.