The President of Homo Digitalis, Elpida Vamvaka, is Invited to WEF at DAVOS: Recognition on a Global Stage
We are thrilled to announce that Homo Digitalis has been invited to participate in an esteemed panel discussion at DAVOS, organized by the Swiss Financial Innovation Desk (FIND) of the State Secretariat for International Finance and the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva in the context of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Event Details:
Topic: Doing More with Less: How to Address Growing Needs in Times of Economic Uncertainty
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | 17:00-18:30
Location: Crystal Lounge, Davos
Our President, Elpida Vamvaka, will join a distinguished panel of global leaders to discuss how emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) can empower governments and organizations to address critical global challenges in times of economic uncertainty. Specifically, in the panel hosting our President, Elpida Vamvaka will be also speaking:
– Christoph König, Deputy State Secretary, State Secretariat for International Finance
– Kelly Clements, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees
– Morten Bech, Centre Head Switzerland, Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub
The moderator of the panel will be Eva Selamlar, Head of Swiss Financial Innovation Desk (FIND)
While we celebrate this global recognition, it underscores the need for similar trust and acknowledgment at the national level in Greece. Strengthening Greece’s commitment to technological innovation and policy foresight will pave the way for meaningful change.
You can find more details about the event here.
Let’s make human rights-oriented innovation the cornerstone of a brighter and more resilient future – for Greece and the world.
Eleftherios Chelioudakis of Homo Digitalis as a Trainer in the 3rd OSCE ODIHR Training on Personal Data & Border Management
From December 4 to 6, Eleftherios Chelioudakis, our Co-founder and Executive Director, participated as a trainer in the third training session organized by the international organization OSCE, specifically its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw. The training explored the use of new technologies at international borders, as well as the risks and opportunities they pose for Human Rights.
In our five presentations, we focused on the technologies used at borders, the Human Rights impacted by these uses, the provisions of the GDPR and Directive 2016/680 LED, the significant decision by the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) regarding the “KENTAYROS” and “YPERION” systems, as well as technical tools that human rights defenders can use in their work!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the participants for their dynamic presence, to the team of outstanding trainers Nikola Kovačević, Djordje Alempijevic, and Arancha Garcia del Soto for their knowledge and expertise, and to the organizing team, Lola Girard and Veronica Grazzi, for their impeccable organization and contributions. It is a great honor for us to participate!
You can learn more here.
The Award-Winning Cartoon Series Super-Cyber Kids Now Has Subtitles
The award-winning cartoon series Super-Cyber Kids, a production by ISC2 Hellenic Chapter, ICSI HELLAS S.A., and Homo Digitalis, with the support of ADACOM Cyber Security, Eurolife FFH, bora, and RESET CONSULTANTS, is now available with Greek subtitles! A big thank you to the amazing Panagiotis Soulos for this significant volunteer initiative!
- How can excessive use of social media negatively impact children’s performance in school or sports?
- Are there risks of personal data leaks and password theft when connecting to third-party WiFi networks?
- How do incidents of cyberbullying occur?
- What connection might cybersecurity have with the evolution of a war like the Trojan War?
- How can a teenage team win a soccer match by spying on their opponents’ social media?
Answers to all these questions and much more are provided in the five episodes of the series, available for free on our YouTube channels here.
Homo Digitalis Collaborates Once Again with the Digital World Summit Greece
We are delighted to announce that, for yet another year, the Digital World Summit Greece (DWS Greece) and Homo Digitalis are moving forward with a strategic partnership!
The Digital World Summit Greece (DWS Greece) aims to promote the democratic governance of new technologies. As a dialogue platform, it brings together diverse stakeholders and groups, shaping policies from the grassroots level to the top on issues related to artificial intelligence, platforms, the Internet of Things, and broader technological domains.
Homo Digitalis has actively supported DWS Greece since its inception, and it is a great honor for us to continue doing so dynamically. Together, we aim to contribute to the maturation of public discourse in Greece on issues related to digital rights.
You can learn more about the activities of the Digital World Summit Greece on their website, here.
We Publish Our Third Study on the AI Act, Focusing on Article 5 & Prohibited Practices
Today, Homo Digitalis publishes its third study on Regulation 2024/1689, the now widely known AI Act, titled “Artificial Intelligence Act: Analysis of Provisions on Prohibited Practices in Article 5 of Regulation 2024/1689.”
The authors of this study are Sophia Antonopoulou, Lamprini Gyftokosta, Tania Skrapaliori, Eleftherios Chelioudakis, and Stavroula Chousou.
The aim of this Homo Digitalis analysis is to systematically approach each provision of Article 5 of the AI Regulation, related to Manipulative or deceptive techniques, Exploitation of vulnerabilities, Assessment of social behavior, Facial recognition database use, Prediction of criminal offenses, Emotion detection,Biometric categorization systems, and Remote biometric identification.
With our study, we provide targeted questions highlighting the critical aspects of individual provisions, identifying the so-called “gray areas”—points that present ambiguities, overlaps, or potential interpretative challenges. We substantiate our concerns with specific examples and pose precise questions to be addressed by the upcoming guidelines of the European Commission’s AI Office and the national legislator.
As with our first two studies (published in October and November 2024, respectively), our third study also aims to support the Ministry of Digital Governance in its mission to transpose the AI Act into Greek legislation. Additionally, through our detailed analyses and arguments, we aim to contribute to the maturation of public discourse and empower more Civil Society organizations to actively participate in it.
You can read our study, “Artificial Intelligence Act: Analysis of Provisions on Prohibited Practices in Article 5 of Regulation 2024/1689,” (available in EL) here.
We Successfully Completed Our Voluntary Awareness Actions in 10 Schools Across Attica for the Period October–December 2024!
During this school year, from October 2024 to December 2024, Homo Digitalis focused its voluntary awareness efforts on schools in Athens!
With the invaluable support of Education Consultant Ms. Christina Kalfoglou, Psychologist Ms. Elina Kardara, and School Consultant Ms. Maria Panta, we visited 10 schools (public and private junior and high schools) and conducted 16 presentations for approximately 1,400 students, educators, and parents on the topics digital footprint and cyberbullying.
We learned a great deal about the apps children use and the risks they face on various social media platforms. We also discussed the challenges they encounter when trying to report issues on these platforms, often without resolving their problems!
Students shared incidents of cyberbullying and online violence with us, and we talked about ways to address and support them. Educators, on the other hand, expressed their concerns and raised thought-provoking questions regarding the use of mobile phones and artificial intelligence tools in schools.
Yesterday, we concluded our awareness actions for the first trimester of the 2024–2025 school year with an informational event at the 59th Junior High School of Athens, where we spoke with teachers and members of the parents association and teachers about the digital footprint, new digital risks such as deepfakes, misinformation, disinformation, and echo chambers, as well as the Kids Wallet initiative proposed by the Ministry of Digital Governance!
A big thank you to our members, board members, and employees: Sofia Antonopoulou, Niki Georgakopoulou, Lamprini Gyftokosta, and Konstantinos Kakavoulis for their active participation and outstanding contribution to these initiatives!
Together, we are building a safer and more informed digital community!
Presentation to Educators in Larissa on Cyberbullying
On November 18th, at the invitation of the Educational Advisor for Primary School Teachers in Larissa, Ms. Vasiliki Pilatou, our member Anastasios Arampatzis delivered a presentation to sixth-grade teachers from Ms. Pilatou’s district on the topic of cyberbullying.
The educators expressed great interest in our initiatives and presentation, engaging with us in discussions on questions about cyberbullying as well as critical reflections on the current implementation of the Stop Bullying platform developed by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports.
Homo Digitalis remains at the disposal of educators, parents, and students to inform them about their rights in the digital space and to highlight their concerns.
Eleftherios Chelioudakis of Homo Digitalis as a Trainer in a second OSCE ODIHR Training on Personal Data & Border Management
From October 29 to 31, Eleftherios Chelioudakis, our Co-founder and Executive Director, participated as a trainer in a training session organized by the international organization OSCE, specifically its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The training explored the use of new technologies at international borders, as well as the risks and opportunities they pose for Human Rights.
In our five presentations, we focused on the technologies used at borders, the Human Rights impacted by these uses, the provisions of the GDPR and Directive 2016/680 LED, the significant decision by the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) regarding the “KENTAYROS” and “YPERION” systems, as well as technical tools that human rights defenders can use in their work!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the participants for their dynamic presence, to the team of outstanding trainers Nikola Kovačević, Djordje Alempijevic, and Arancha Garcia del Soto for their knowledge and expertise, and to the organizing team, Lola Girard and Veronica Grazzi, for their impeccable organization and contributions. It is a great honor for us to participate!
You can learn more here.
We give a lecture at the OSCE's three-day training seminar on the protection of human rights at the borders
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organizes next week its training course for human rights defenders working at international borders in Warsaw! The three-day training course aims to enable human rights defenders to understand the human rights implications of border technologies and to improve their skills in collecting and verifying information through various means, including new technologies, for effective human rights monitoring at borders.
On a pro bono basis, Homo Digitalis and HIAS Greece will give a lecture during the training course related to our great success with the KENTAUROS and HYPERION case!
Our lecture titled “Combating Centaurs and Titans – Leveraging Data Protection Law to Counter Intrusive Surveillance in Migration” will focus on how data protection law can be strategically employed to challenge invasive surveillance technologies used in migration. Eleftherios Chelioudakis will represent Homo Digitalis in this lecture.
We would like to thank the organizers for their kind invitation, as well as HIAS Greece for the great collaboration.
You can find more information about the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) here.