Interview of Our President at Women in Digital
Elpida Vamvaká, President of Homo Digitalis and General Legal Counsel at Papaki, spoke to Women in Digital about the need to protect digital rights in Greece, the importance of technology that places people at the center, and the ways in which artificial intelligence can operate responsibly and ethically.
With a focus on the challenges of cybersecurity, the importance of education, and the promotion of gender equality in the tech field, Elpida highlights her vision for a fair, sustainable, and inclusive digital society in her interview. You can read her interview here.
Women In Digital is the editorial and conference initiative of Smarpress. The foundation was laid with the first Women In Digital conference on 8/3/21, where 40 prominent “strong women” from Technology, IT, Startups, and Digital Marketing took the stage. Readers can follow the content through the monthly newsletter or the dedicated website. WID draws its topics from the work of women, both Greek and international, who are active in the STEM sector or apply their digital skills in more traditional fields.
The Hellenic Data Protection Authority Investigates DeepSeek
In a letter addressed to Homo Digitalis on February 5, following our January 30, 2025 request, the Audit and Security Department and the rapporteur auditor, Ms. F. Karvela, informed us that the Authority “has already initiated an ex officio investigation into the companies Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., in accordance with the provisions of Articles 57(1)(a), 58(1)(b) of the GDPR and Articles 13(1)(h) and 15(1) of Law 4624/2019.”
We eagerly await further information regarding the HDPA’s ex officio investigation, the progress of the procedure, and any developments in this case in the near future.
Request of Homo Digitalis before the Hellenic Personal Data Protection Authority (HDPA) to Investigate Deepseek: Our Statements in the Newspaper "Kathimerini"
On Thursday, November 30th, Homo Digitalis submitted a request (reference number 865/30-01-2025) to the Hellenic Personal Data Protection Authority (HDPA), asking for the exercise of its investigative powers regarding the use of the Deepseek platform by data subjects within the Greek territory, in accordance with Article 58 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The request is available here (ΕL).
In recent days, the Deepseek platform has become particularly popular among users within the Greek territory due to related media publications. Supervisory authorities from other EU member states, such as the Italian and Irish supervisory authorities, have already taken significant interventions to limit the use of the platform. This is because, based on the data processing practices taking place and the way they are described in its Privacy Policy, serious challenges to the protection of users’ personal data are apparent.
In the request we submitted, we are asking the HDPA, in accordance with Article 58(1)(a) and Article 58(2)(f) of the GDPR, to instruct the data controllers, namely Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. and Beijing DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., to provide all the information necessary to perform its duties in order to clarify the challenges to the rights of the data subjects we highlight in our submission. Furthermore, we request the HDPA to immediately impose restrictions on the processing of personal data of users within the Greek territory by the Deepseek platform, temporarily prohibiting its availability and use in the Greek market.
Today, Sunday, February 2nd, our statements are also featured in an article by journalist Giannis Papadopoulos in the Sunday edition of the newspaper “Kathimerini,” which provides a detailed description of the related developments, including statements from Professors Thodoris Christakis, Dimitris Papaheliopoulos, Vasilis Vlahos, and security researcher Dimitris Siatiras. We sincerely thank the journalist for his interest in our actions! For Homo Digitalis, comments were provided by Eleftherios Chelioudakis. You can read this press coverage online here.
Statements from Homo Digitalis in an article by Reporters United, Investigate Europe & EfSyn on the AI Act
Following the investigation and related revelations carried out last week by Reporters United, Investigate Europe, and EfSyn regarding the trilateral meetings on the AI Act and the negative stance of the Greek government on the security safeguards for biometric identification at a later stage, today in a new report, journalist Εurydice Bersi highlights how various state bodies have been systematically violating for years the security safeguards that European data protection legislation provides for the artificial intelligence systems already in use in our country.
We sincerely thank the journalist for her interest in our related actions and for the opportunity to provide some brief comments on the challenges we have identified and the lack of compliance that has been evident over time. Our statements were represented by Eleftherios Chelioudakis.
In fact, as part of the journalists’ investigation, a request for access to information has already been submitted, calling on the Greek government to disclose the documents with its positions on the trilateral meetings!
You can read the related article and their detailed investigation here.
Invitation to Press Conference: DEMOCRACY WITH NO AIR: The State of the Rule of Law in Greece Today
Illegal pushbacks, police violence, Pylos shipwreck, wiretapping scandal, Tempi train crash, absence of accountability and delivery of justice, poor law-making, “omnibus” legislation, constant and irrelevant legislative amendments, shrinking press freedom, attacks and lawsuits against journalists, concentration of media ownership, state breaches of personal data, corruption, lack of transparency in gifts to political figures and ministerial staff…
These are just some of the critical issues affecting the Rule of Law in Greece today. At a time when authoritarian politics, the re-election of Donald Trump, the rise of the far-right, growing social inequality, the dominance of populism in public discourse and attacks on human rights cast a dark shadow over democracy.
In light of these developments and the ongoing weakening of institutions in Greece, Greek Civil Society leads a pressing fight to safeguard the Rule of Law and to strengthen transparency and accountability.
Independent organisations Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR), HIAS Greece, Homo Digitalis, Refugee Support Aegean (RSA), Reporters United, Solomon, and Vouliwatch, submitted for a third consecutive year a joint report to the European Commission on the Rule of Law in Greece in 2024, as part of the annual monitoring of national systems.
We demand a clear shift in the European Commission’s approach, focusing not on “commitments” or “intentions” of the state but on an accurate depiction of the situation in the country. Systematic violations of fundamental principles of the Rule of Law cannot be treated as isolated incidents.
We invite you to the Press Conference, which will take place on Tuesday 4 February at 11:00 a.m. at the Athens Bar Association. During the event, we will present our contribution and publish the report we submitted to the European Commission.
SPEAKERS
A welcome address will be delivered by the Vice President of the Athens Bar Association, Alexandros Mantzoutsos.
The report will be presented by:
Stefanos Loukopoulos | Vouliwatch
Minos Mouzourakis | RSA
Short interventions by:
- Lambrini Gyftokosta | Homo Digitalis
- Elli Kriona-Saranti | HIAS
- Alexandros Konstantinou | GCR
- Danai Maragoudaki | Solomon
- Katerina Pournara | HLHR
- Thodoris Chondrogiannos | Reporters United
The event will be moderated by journalist Natasa Giamali (MEGA TV).
Tuesday, 4 February | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Athens Bar Association (60 Akadimias St., Athens)
The Press Conference will be held in Greek.
We declare once again our unwavering support for Freedom of the Press in Greece against SLAPPs.
Since 2018, when Homo Digitalis began its actions aimed at defending and promoting Human Rights, we have proven our unwavering support for the Right to Personal Data Protection in significant cases with a strong impact on our societies, through important legal interventions and complaints before the competent supervisory authorities, standing against public and private entities that violate the provisions of Law 4624/2019.
However, unfortunately, the use of provisions related to the protection of personal data is often employed in a way that leads to significant challenges for freedom of expression and information and poses risks to our Democracy, even violating the exceptions provided by law.
Therefore, as a Civil Society organization, we would like to once again declare our unwavering support for Freedom of the Press. We stand by the journalists of Omnia TV and their investigative work, opposing SLAPP practices.
As explicitly stated in Law 4624/2019, Article 28, the right to personal data protection must be reconciled with the right to freedom of expression and information in the context of processing for journalistic purposes. Specifically, among other cases, such processing is allowed when the right to freedom of expression and the right to information outweigh the right to personal data protection, especially for matters of general public interest or when it concerns personal data of public figures. Additionally, within this framework, the processing is limited to what is necessary to ensure freedom of expression and the right to information, taking into account the subject’s right to privacy and family life.
With our stance, we must use the tools of legislation to safeguard and promote Human Rights, respecting the legal balances and limitations each time. The use of strategic lawsuits will never limit our Rights and Freedoms, as long as the competent judicial authorities fulfill their mission.
Our statement is also available in press release format here
We are celebrating Data Protection Day by releasing our Annual Report
Today is January 28th, Global Data Protection Day! At Homo Digitalis, we are working hard to give real meaning to this day, ensuring it is not just another day of well-wishes.
Therefore, today, one year after our last celebration, we are releasing our Annual Report for 2024, which includes all of our successes and significant actions in the areas of awareness-raising, co-shaping policy decisions, and strategic legal interventions in the context of protecting our digital rights!
Additionally, this year we have the honor of having the President of the National Commission for Bioethics & Technoethics, Mr. Charalambos Tsekis, introduce our annual report, offering his thoughts on 2025 and the challenges and opportunities arising from the use of Artificial Intelligence, with an eye to the future.
Finally, continuing to set high standards in the area of transparency, our annual report also includes our financial statement, just as in our past deliverables.
A big thank you to the Board of Directors, our employees, our network of volunteers, our partners, and our donors for all that we have been able to achieve!
Let’s therefore honor another Data Protection Day not only with celebrations but also with a critical approach to technological solutions, key interventions, and hard work!
You can read our Annual Report here (in EL).
We co-organize and participate in the Tech & Society Summit in Brussels
The Tech and Society Summit is approaching and will take place on Tuesday, 1st October in Brussels! This exciting conference, co-organized by EDRi in collaboration with Homo Digitalis and over 40 other organizations, will bring together leading experts, policymakers, and human rights advocates to discuss the intersection of technology and societal impacts in Europe. The summit will cover critical issues, ranging from digital rights and climate change to AI regulations, contributing to the shaping of a fair and equitable digital future for all.
We are excited that Eleftherios Chelioudakis will represent Homo Digitalis as a speaker at the session Visionary Roundtable: Building an EU Digital Enforcement Strategy. With important laws such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Digital Services Act (DSA), and AI Act, Eleftherios will highlight the actions of Homo Digitalis, discussing how these regulations can effectively protect rights and boost Europe’s competitiveness in the digital space.
Additionally, Homo Digitalis has been invited to participate in the session Fundamental Rights in Focus: Joint Efforts for Spyware Regulation in the EU, co-organized by the Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe (CDT Europe) and Amnesty International. In this session, key policymakers and civil society representatives will meet to explore ways to regulate spyware in the EU, and we will discuss our experiences from the latest related developments in Greece.
You can read more about the Tech and Society Summit and view its program here.
We successfully organized the annual General Assembly of EDRi in Heraklion, Crete for 2024
Last month, and specifically on May 17-19, a big dream of Homo Digitalis from the first years of its foundation became reality! We co-organized in Greece, for the first time, the annual General Assembly of European Digital Rights (EDRi)!
For three days the heart of digital rights protection and promotion was beating in Heraklion, Crete, with representatives from more than 60 organizations of the EDRi network being there!!!
Three days full of discussions, workshops, exchange of ideas and important celebratory moments, during which participants were given the opportunity to learn more about Cretan tradition, with lessons in traditional dances, local Cretan cuisine from the years of the Minoan Civilization and moments of relaxation on the Dia island.
The GA was a huge success, and this is of course due to the unique contribution of the people who contributed to its organization!
A huge thank you to the President of Homo Digitalis, Elpida Vamvaka, who successfully guided us in this difficult project, to the members of the organization who were the secret ingredient of success, in alphabetical order, Angelina Barla, Adamantia Volikou, Vassiliki Giannaki, Yannis Spanakis, Giorgos Sarris, Kiki Syntichaki, Manos Papadakis, Niki Georgakopoulou, Tania Scrapaliori and Haris Daftsios, as well as to our employees Lamprini Gyftokosta and Eleftherios Chelioudakis who gave all their energy and passion! Also, we could not fail to thank the unique team of the EDRi Office, namely Claire Fernandez, Guillermo Peris, Jean Duclos and Nevena Krivokapic.
It is important to emphasize that during the GA, our members Angelina Barla, Giorgos Sarris, Niki Georgakopoulou and Haris Daftsios, also gave a workshop on the proposed European legislation on combating the trafficking of child exploitation material on the internet (Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse – Child Sexual Abuse Regulation – CSAR).
At this point we would like to thank the non-profit organization Bizrupt for the use of its office space for the festive event of the General Assembly on Friday 17 May, the Charitable Foundations Andreou and Maria Kalokairinou for the pro bono use of its Social Space for the hosting of the General Assembly on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May, the Cretan Cuisine Festival Association for the unique traditional dishes that they provided us with free of charge, and the Lazaros and Manolis Chnaris Folklore Club for the Cretan Traditional Dance classes and the related performance that they provided free of charge.
We would like to express our gratitude for this unique support from the above-mentioned organizations, who have shown in practice with their attitude once again, their unreserved support for the work of the EDRi network organizations, regarding the protection and promotion of Human Rights in the modern digital era. We are honoured to have them as our partners.
Finally, we would also like to thank local businesses for their excellent services throughout this project, namely Gea Holidays, Siganos Executive Food Events, Notos Brewery, Avanti Sailing, Yannaris Grill, Veganato, Guernica Bar, Taverna Xylouris, Plaisio Print, and Creta Oil.