Homo Digitalis spoke at the Tech & Society Summit in Brussels
Last Tuesday 1/10, Homo Digitalis was in Brussels, participating at the Tech and Society Summit co-organised together with the European Digital Rights and more than other 40 organisations!
This event aimed to bring civil society’s voices to the forefront of EU’s digital policy debates. Together we are building this space to create a bridge between digital rights organisations and new policymakers to achieve accountable, people-focused policies that advance everyone’s digital rights.
Eleftherios Chelioudakis, represented us in the Summit speaking at the session “Visionary Round-table: Building an EU Digital Enforcement Strategy” organised by BEUC – The European Consumer Organisation and moderated by European Digital Rights’ Itxaso Domínguez de Olazábal! It was a unique opportunity for us to share our enforcement actions aiming at facilitating redress of harmed individuals in Greece!
Also, we actively participated in the Round-table Fundamental Rights in focus: Joint efforts for Spyware Regulation in the EU, organised by Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe and Amnesty International, sharing insights from the latest developments of the PREDATOR scandal in Greece and the related legislative initiatives of the Greek State.
We would like to sincerely thank the organizers for inviting Homo Digitalis to participate and share our views and actions on these important topics!
We prepared an explanatory video on the Greek DPA's Decision on the new ID cards
On Monday 23/9 the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (DPA) issued Decision 32/2024, which relates to the new identity cards for Greek citizens.
The Authority found deficiencies regarding the provision of general information to data subjects, and further found that the required data protection impact assessment was carried out late and deficient. For these reasons, it imposed an administrative fine of EUR 150,000 on the Ministry of Citizen Protection, as controller, for the above infringements, while at the same time it issued a compliance order to the Ministry within six months. Finally, the Authority pointed out the obligation to update and codify the legal framework regarding the details of the new type of identity cards for Greek citizens.
The Decision 32/2024 of the Hellenic Data Protection Authority is available here.
The Homo Digitalis team has prepared a short explanatory video in plain language to highlight some important points of this Decision.
The video is available here.
Statements by Homo Digitalis in Kathimerini on speech recording and online advertising
Journalist Giannis Papadopoulos in his article for Kathimerini newspaper discusses the recent revelations about the “Active Listening” function of the advertising company Cox Media Group.
Specifically, in a corporate presentation trying to promote this feature to its customers, Cox Media Group claimed that it could “eavesdrop” on conversations of users of mobile phones and other smart devices and with the help of artificial intelligence create targeted ads. The Company’s existing customer base includes major technology companies, including Facebook, Google and Amazon.
Lamprini Gyftokosta and Eleftherios Chelioudakis provided statements for Homo Digitalis to the reporter regarding both mobile phone settings and the challenges that arise in protecting the personal data and privacy of users through the dark patterns used by the tech giants.
We are very grateful to the journalist for his interest in our posts. You can read his article here.
In a related article-opinion hosted by Kathimerini newspaper and co-authored by Lillian Mitrou, Professor at the University of the Aegean and Vassilis Karkatzounis, PhD candidate at the University of the Aegean, important observations are provided regarding the challenges arising from the application of legislation in the complex environment of online advertising. You can read the article here.
Finally, we recall that as early as 2020, Homo Digitalis has already taken strategic legal action at the European level with our complaints against Google and IAB Europe in the context of their intrusive practices of targeted behavioural advertising. Our cases are pending before the Irish and Belgian authorities respectively and we expect decisions on these cases to be issued shortly. You can read more here.
We spoke to the newspaper Kathimerini and journalist Yannis Papadopoulos about the leak of personal data to Christie's Auction House
On 30 May, international auction house Christie’s sent an email to its customers to inform them that their personal data had been hacked, and on 3 June a lawsuit was filed in New York for damages against the international auction house.
The journalist of Kathimerini newspaper, Yiannis Papadopoulos, wrote a detailed article on this case, and Homo Digitalis provided relevant comments, with Eleftherios Chelioudakis representing us.
We thank the journalist for his interest in our views.
You can read the article here.
We submitted important questions to the Minister of Interior, Ms Kerameos, on the project "Development and operation of a tool for the strategic planning of public sector staffing in terms of artificial intelligence" and its pilot application in 9 institutions
On April 15, Homo Digitalis submitted an electronic letter to the Minister of Interior, Ms Kerameos, regarding the Ministry’s project entitled “Development and operation of a tool for strategic planning of public sector staffing in terms of artificial intelligence”.
Our letter was communicated to the President of the Personal Data Protection Authority, Mr. Menoudakos, and to the Data Protection Officer of the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Theocharis.
More specifically, this project relates to the development and operation of a tool for the strategic planning of human resources in the public sector in terms of artificial intelligence and concerns the following axes:
– Creation of an integrated framework for strategic staffing planning (optimal allocation of existing and new staff) in the public sector (including technical specifications for the implementation and revision of existing frameworks)
– Pilot implementation in 9 Public Sector Entities and more specifically in MOD SA, AADE, OAED, Athens General Hospital “G. Municipality of Thessaloniki, Region of Attica, Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Energy and Ministry of Culture and Sports,
– Design of training programmes for (a) users and (b) upgrading the skills of civil servants, and
– Development of the knowledge repository of civil servants.
According to relevant information posted on the website of the Ministry of Interior and articles in various media, the Ministry of Interior is the project manager and has already contracted with Deloitte for its preparation. In fact, according to the timetable, the work has made significant progress.
In its letter, Homo Digitalis requests information from the Minister on a number of questions regarding both the legal framework for the protection of personal data (Law 4624/2019 – GDPR), and the legal framework for the use of artificial intelligence systems by the public sector (Law 4961/2022), as the pilot implementation of the project is expected to take place immediately in the 9 institutions mentioned above.
Specifically, we put the following questions to the Minister in our letter:
-Has the Ministry of Interior carried out a data protection impact assessment before the project was announced, in accordance with the principles of data protection “already by design” and “by default”?
-Has a relevant Data Protection Impact Assessment been carried out specifically in relation to the pilot implementation of the platform in the 9 public bodies?
-If the relevant Assessments have been prepared, has the Ministry considered it necessary to consult the Data Protection Authority in this respect?
-Does the Ministry consider the 9 public bodies as joint controllers and if so, has the Ministry proceeded with the relevant obligations as set out in Article 26 GDPR?
-Can the Ministry inform us of the relevant categories of personal data, the purposes of the processing for which such data are intended, and the legal basis for the processing you intend to use?
-Can the Ministry point us to the exact website where the Ministry of Interior’s contract with Deloitte is posted so that we can study the relevant provisions contained therein, especially with regard to the processing of personal data?
-Finally, has the Ministry of Interior proceeded to comply with the obligations arising from the provisions of Law 4961/2022, and in particular has an algorithmic impact assessment been carried out (Article 5), has it taken the necessary transparency measures (Article 6), has the project contractor fulfilled their obligations in this respect (Article 7), and has the Ministry kept a register (Article 8) in view of the forthcoming pilot use of the system?
Homo Digitalis interview to France 24 on the MEP Asimakopoulou emails case
Our co-founder, Eleftherios Chelioudakis, represented Homo Digitalis in an interview with France 24 (the French News Agency) about the illegal transfer of personal data of a large number of Greeks living abroad in the hands of the MEP Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou and the relevant political communication she made to them via email in the context of the upcoming European elections.
We are very grateful to France 24 for its interest in our actions. You can read the interview here.
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.
Homo Digitalis interview with Inside Story about the MEP Asimakopoulou emails' case
The member of Homo Digitalis, Christos Zanganas, represented Homo Digitalis in an interview with Inside.story and journalist Eleftheria Tsaliki on the illegal transfer of personal data of a large number of Greeks living abroad in the hands of the MEP Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou and the relevant political communication she made to them via email in the context of the upcoming European elections.
We are very grateful to the journalist for her interest in our actions. You can read the interview here.
Homo Digitalis interview with The Press Project about the MEP Asimakopoulou emails' case
The member of Homo Digitalis, Nikoleta Georgakopoulou, spoke to The Press Project and journalists Thanos Kamilalis and Konstantinos Poulis about the scandal with the illegal transfer of personal data of a large number of Greeks living abroad in the hands of the New Democracy MEP Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou and the relevant political communication she made to them via email in the context of the upcoming European elections.
We are very grateful to the journalists of The Press Project for their interest in our actions.
You can listen to the excerpt of the interview at 16:15 of the related video on The Press Project’s YouTube channel here.