We submitted our views to the European Commission’s public consultation on Article 30(5) GDPR
Yesterday, Homo Digitalis submitted its views as part of the European Commission’s public consultation on Article 30(5) of the GDPR.
In our submission, we call on the Commission to withdraw the proposed amendment and stress the need to ensure that the GDPR is not reopened or modified through broader deregulatory initiatives. The priority must remain on the effective application and enforcement of the existing framework, rather than on reducing the safeguards that are essential for protecting fundamental rights in the digital age.
You can read our full position here.
Homo Digitalis contributes to two EU consultations on the Data Strategy and high-risk AI systems
Last Friday, July 18th, Homo Digitalis submitted detailed input to two public consultations launched by the European Commission.
The first consultation focused on collecting targeted input from stakeholders regarding the implementation of the AI Act (2024/1689) rules for high-risk AI systems. According to Article 6(5) of the AI Act, the Commission must publish guidelines on the practical implementation of the high-risk classification rules by February 2, 2026, accompanied by a list of practical examples of both high-risk and non-high-risk AI systems. Additionally, Article 96(1)(a) requires the Commission to provide guidelines on the application of obligations and responsibilities for high-risk AI systems, including those across the AI value chain, as defined in Article 25. In its submission, Homo Digitalis provided practical examples of AI systems from Greece and other countries, and highlighted key issues that should be clarified in both the classification and compliance guidelines.
The second consultation addressed the EU Data Strategy. Its three goals are to: 1) boost investment in data technologies and promote data sharing through voluntary or funded initiatives; 2) streamline existing rules and develop data tools to reduce administrative burdens; and 3) shape an international data strategy that ensures safeguards for data transfers outside the EU and encourages data inflows into the EU.
In its response, Homo Digitalis raised strong concerns about potential undermining of personal data protection under the pretext of simplification, flexibility, and competitiveness. The organisation reaffirmed its position that fundamental rights must be strengthened through the use of new technologies and rejected the framing of existing legal frameworks as a barrier to innovation. According to Homo Digitalis, the challenges lie primarily in the lack of enforcement and resources, not the laws themselves.
You can read our full submission for the first consultation here.
We thank the drafting team, Stavrina Chousou, Niki Georgakopoulou, Sofia Antonopoulou, and Eleftherios Chelioudakis, for their valuable contributions.
You can read our full submission for the second consultation here, edited by our Executive Director, Eleftherios Chelioudakis.
We have prepared an easy-to-read infographic on developments at the AI Act trilateral conferences
How are the tripartite conferences progressing in the context of the adoption of the proposed EU AI legislation?
Together with European Digital Rights and other key civil society organisations we have been working closely with over the last few years on this legislative dossier, we have prepared a graphic to highlight where we are with meeting our demands for the protection of Human Rights.
We have achieved significant improvements, but unfortunately there are still many provisions that do not meet our requests. You can read more on the relevant here.
Request for a meeting at the Ministry of Digital Governance for AI ACT
On Friday 29/9, Homo Digitalis requested a meeting before the Minister of Digital Governance, Mr. Dimitris Papastergiou, in the context of the trilateral negotiations taking place at EU level for the adoption of the proposed AI Act. In addition to our request for a meeting with the Minister, we attach a one-page statement, in which we briefly set out the specific issues we wish to discuss in more detail with him.
Our aim is to present to the Minister and to the Greek Government’s representation at EU Council level our views on the proposed provisions in more detail and to learn more about Greece’s positions in the trilateral consultations already taking place.
FRONTEX responds to Homo Digitalis' Request for Access to Information on EUROSUR and the deadly shipwreck in Pylos
In June 2023, Homo Digitalis had filed a request for access to documents before FRONTEX in order to explore whether the EUROSUR system, which is composed of drones and satellites, among other technologies, was in operation during the fatal ship’s voyage from 9 to 13 June in the Mediterranean Sea and the reasons why it did not prevent this fatal shipwreck.
Today, FRONTEX replies that the EUROSUR system, despite being fully operational, has not been able to do what it promises, namely to detect large vessels that may be used by criminal organisations to transport people in the Mediterranean, putting the lives of the latter at high risk. This is a major revelation by Homo Digitalis, demonstrating that the very expensive – tens of millions of euros – solutions promised by technology companies to complex issues such as border management and the protection of people who put their lives at risk have failed. EUROSUR failed to locate the large floating vessel, despite the fact that it had been right in its field of control for more than 3 full 24 hours.
You can see the text of the reply we received here.
We call on the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU to prioritise fundamental rights over profits
As the EU institutions move forward in “trilogue” negotiations, the last stage for the adoption of the proposed EU legislation on AI #AIAct, we are taking a stand again!
150 civil society organisations, including Homo Digitalis, are calling on the European Parliament, the European Commission and the EU Council to put people and their fundamental rights ahead of profits!
In the coming period we intend to take initiatives in this regard at national level as well! You can read our letter here.
We call on the IMCO & LIBE committees of the European Parliament to end biometric mass surveillance
Thursday (11/5) will be a landmark day for the protection of Human Rights, as the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) and the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) of the European Parliament vote on the provisions of the proposed legislation on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act).
For more than 3 years now, the European Digital Rights network within the ReclaimYourFace campaign together with partners, including Homo Digitalis, have been actively advocating for a ban on mass biometric surveillance.
Today, we are one step closer to realising our demands and we call on Committee members to vote with the protection of everyone’s rights in mind!!
You can read more about our positions here.
We express our concern about the introduction of a mechanism providing for direct payments from content providers and technology companies to major European telecom companies.
In February 2023, the European Commission presented a series of actions to transform the EU’s connectivity sector, including an exploratory consultation on the future of the connectivity sector and related infrastructure.
Today, 48 organisations, including Homo Digitalis, published a joint statement expressing our collective concern about calls at EU level for a mechanism to provide for significant direct payments (“network contribution”, “network fee”, “fair share”) from content providers and technology companies to large European telecoms companies.
We call on EU policy makers and Member States to resist the imposition of direct payment obligations in favour of the largest telecom operators! Six MEPs support our stand!
You can read our joint statement in English and the MEPs’ joint support here.
You can read the relevant EU Press Release here.
Don't miss the event on AI and migration
The agenda for the upcoming #ProtectNotSurveil webinar organized by Access Now, Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), and the Border Violence Monitoring Network is ready!
Don’t forget to register in order to learn more about AI, the proposed legislation at the European level, and its provisions related to the border management sector here.
You will have the pleasure of attending a unique line-up of speakers, including Petra Molnar (Refugee Law Lab) Alyna Smith (PICUM), Anna Colaps (EDPS), Hope Barker (BVMN) and Sarah Chander (European Digital Rights)
Find out more here.