We spoke at an event hosted by KEPSIPI in the context of the Erasmus+ Digital Learning and Social Intervention programme

On Thursday 23rd of May we had the pleasure to participate in the event organized by KEPSIPI in the framework of the Erasmus+ Digital Learning and Social Intervention project and to talk about digital learning and the importance of personal data for social workers from Greece, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Romania and the challenges of using AI tools in the field of social intervention. We would like to thank Ms. Margarita Moraitou for the invitation and her efforts to highlight this issue both nationally and European-wide.

Our Director for AI and New Technologies, Lamprini Gyftokosta, spoke representing Homo Digitalis at the event.

You can learn more about the work and activities of the Centre for Mental and Pedagogical Health here.

by Homo Digitalis

Homo Digitalis' participation in CPDP 2024 was a great success

For another year, and consistently since 2019, Homo Digitalis was present at the internationally renowned Computers, Privacy & Data Protection (CPDP) conference in Brussels!

We are honored that the organizers chose us to participate in the conference podcast series, with our Director for AI & Human Rights, Lamprini Gyftokosta, analyzing our pending cases before the Data Protection Authority in Greece, and our significant successes so far!

Also, another very nice moments of ours at the event, is EDRi’s award from the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP) “AI Policy Leader in Civil Society” regarding our joint campaign ReclaimYourFace, of which Homo Digitalis is a co-founding member!

Of course, it is always unique for us to see our members actively participating in the conference and have a dynamic presence in discussions, panels and other events both with their Homo Digitalis hat and that of their professional capacity Thank you very much for proudly representing Homo Digitalis at this conference every year!!!

by Homo Digitalis

Our very own Eleftherios Chelioudakis is now Executive Director at Homo Digitalis

Who said dreams don’t come true?

After more than 6 years in the role of co-founder and Secretary of the Board of Homo Digitalis, and his voluntary contribution to the organization’s activities, Eleftherios Chelioudakis takes on a new role, that of Executive Director of Homo Digitalis.

This is yet another big and important step for Homo Digitalis on the road to its sustainable development and the emergence of its strategic role in the protection of Human Rights in the modern digital era.

More info about his profile

Eleftherios is a lawyer with deep specialization in emerging technologies. For more than 8 years, he has been providing his expertise in research projects and legal cases involving personal data protection, privacy, intellectual property issues (copyright, trademarks, and industrial property), e-commerce, and cybersecurity.

With a dual academic background in legal studies and computer science, Eleftherios possesses interdisciplinary knowledge and practical expertise to successfully tackle complex challenges. He has worked with international law firms, foreign academic institutions, private companies, civil society organizations, European Union bodies, and international organizations.

Academic Background

  • Advanced MSc in Digital Humanities, KU Leuven Computer Science Scool (Cum Laude), 2019
  • LL.M in Law & Technology, Tilburg University Law School (valedictorian – Cum Laude), 2017,
  • LL.B, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens Law School (Very Well), 2014,
  • Harvard Law School, CopyrightX, 2018,
  • European University Institute and University of Pittsburgh Law School, Artificial Intelligence and Law, 2019
  • University of Crete, Advanced Course on AI (ACAI) Summer School, AI for Multi-Agent World, With a scholarship from the European Association of AI (EurAI), 2019,
  • University of Ferrara, Advanced Course on AI (ACAI) Summer School, Statistical Relational Artificial Intelligence (StarAI). 2018.

Languages

  • Greek (mother tongue) και English (IELTS 8), German (B1), Chinese (HSK2)

Participation in Academic and Professional Networks – Associations

  • Member of the Piraeus Bar Association (Lawyer at the Court of Appeals)
  • Member-Observer of the Council of Europe Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI), representing Homo Digitalis
  • Member of the AI for Sustainable Development Goals (AI4SDGs) Think Tank at the Center for Long-term Artificial Intelligence (CLAI)
  • Member and Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), with certifications: Certified Information Privacy Professional Europe (CIPP/E), Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), and Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT)
  • Member of the International Association for Artificial Intelligence & Law
  • Member of the Pool of Experts of the European Data Protection Board
  • Member of the Data Protection Experts Network (EDEN) of Europol
  • Member of the Internet Privacy Engineering Network (IPEN) of the European Data Protection Supervisor
  • Member of the Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, and the Digital Welfare State Community of Practice at the Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice, New York University School of Law, representing Homo Digitalis
  • Member of the Advisory Board of the Jean Monnet Chair in Mediterranean Digital Societies and Law at the Polytechnic University of Turin, representing Homo Digitalis
  • Member of the Scientific Network-International Observatory on Vulnerable People in Data Protection (VULNERA) of Vrije Universiteit Brussel & the Future of Privacy Forum, representing Homo Digitalis
  • Member of the Justice, Equity, and Technology (JET) Table at the London School of Economics and Political Science, representing Homo Digitalis
  • Member of the External Advisory Board of the Horizon Europe Research Program EITHOS (European Identity Theft Observatory System)
  • Member of the Working Group of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) on Artificial Intelligence & Cybersecurity (work concluded in 2020)
  • Member of the External Advisory Board of the Horizon 2020 Research Program PopAI – A European Positive Sum Approach towards AI tools in support of Law Enforcement and safeguarding privacy and fundamental rights (work concluded in 2023).

Publications

Speeches in Conferences (some few examples)

  • InfoLaw, 2024, ΑΙ: From Theory…to practice
  • 8th Data Privacy & Protection Conference 2024, Homo Digitalis’ actions before the Hellenic DPA: A brief overview of cases on Metadata Retention, Biometric Databases and AI Systems,
  • RightsCon, 2023, How to beat a Centaur? A closer look into technology-led border management in Greece,
  • 2nd Quo Vadis AI International Conference, 2022, Artificial Justice, Supervision and Rights,
  • RightsCon, 2022, “Breaking the digital baton: counter-power in the age of high-tech policing,
  • European Commission’s (DIGIT) Legal Interoperability Team, Better Regulation for Smoother Implementation (BLSI) Series, 2021, Digital-ready policies and the support of new technologies in policy activities,
  • The remote Chaos Experience (rC3) organized by the Chaos Computer Club, 2021, The ReclaimYourFace Campaign: EU, ban biometric mass surveillance,
  • EDEN Conference organised by Europol and the Academy of European Law, 2021, (Doin’ it right) Making sure good cops are hunting bad guys – not any other way around”,
  • Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP), 2021, The Effective Supervision Of Law Enforcement Authorities: A Reality Or A Myth?,
  • 11th Hellenic Conference on Artificial Intelligence (SETN 2020), Special Event on Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Law, When European Criminal Justice meets Orwell: Assessing Risk Assessment tools,
  • Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP), 2020, AI and Migration Control: New Tools in the Service of Fortress Borders,
  • Twelfth International Workshop on Juris-informatics (JURISIN 2018), “AI Risk Assessment Tools: A judge’s best friend?

by Homo Digitalis

Homo Digitalis' participation in the Digital World Summit Greece was a great success

Homo Digitalis had the great honor and pleasure to be present with double representation at the Digital World Summit Greece, today Tuesday, May 28th at the National Hellenic Research Foundation!

Specifically, our Vice President and Partner at Digital Law Experts (DLE), Stefanos Vitoratos, participated as a moderator in the 1st panel of the conference, on the topic “#AI: The intersection between regulation and innovation”, in a fascinating discussion with speakers such as Dimitris Gerogiannis (President AI Catalyst), Lilian Mitrou (Professor, Department of Information & Communication Systems Engineering, University of the Aegean), Charalambos Tsekeris (President of the National Bioethics & Technology Ethics Committee), Yannis Mastrogeorgiou (Special Secretary for Long Term Planning, Presidency of the Greek Government) and Fotis Draganidis (Director of Technology at Microsoft Hellas).

Our Director for Human Rights & Artificial Intelligence, Lamprini Gyftokosta, was a speaker at the 2nd panel of the Digital World Summit Greece 2024, on “Cybersecurity, Citizen Security and Artificial Intelligence”! The panel was moderated by Konstantinos Anagnostopoulos (Co-founder & Director, Athens Legal Tech), while Natalia Soulia (Senior Associate | Privacy, Data Protection & Cybersecurity, KG Law FIrm) was also present as a speaker, Thomas Dobridis (Head of the General Directorate of Cybersecurity, Ministry of Digital Governance), Antonis Broumas (Head of Law and Technology, EY Platis-Anastasiades) and Stella Tsitsoula (Founder, RED. comm, Co-Founder | Women4Cyber GR | Founder Hellenic Cybersecurity Institute)!

We would like to thank the organizers for their kind invitation, as every year, to this important conference.

 

 

by Homo Digitalis

We successfully presented our actions at InfoRights 2024 in Corfu

Homo Digitalis has the great pleasure to participate in the Third Interdisciplinary Conference Info Rights , organized by the Reading Society of Corfu on 17 & 18 May 2024 entitled “Human Rights in the Information Age: Benchmarks of History, Law, Ethics and Culture”.

Specifically, on Saturday 18 May, our member Christos Zanganas represented Homo Digitalis presenting our important actions in the field of Digital Rights in our three pillars of interest, Awareness, Advocacy and Strategic Legal Actions!

We would like to thank the organizers for the kind invitation!

by Homo Digitalis

We took an award at CPDP for the Reclaim Your Face campaign

On Tuesday 21 May at the Computers, Privacy & Data Protection (CPDP) conference in Brussels the first ever “Europe AI Policy Leader Awards” by the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP) took place!!

There the European Digital Rights (EDRi) network, of which Homo Digitalis is the only member in Greece, received the “AI Policy Leader in Civil Society” award for the Reclaim Your Face campaign which was a leader in setting limits on the use of remote biometric identification in the EU AI Act!!!

It is a great honour for Homo Digitalis to be a co-founding member of this campaign, and this award fills all campaign members from the EDRi network and other allies with enthusiasm for all that we can achieve when we act strategically under a common goal!

Thank you CAIDP for this important recognition!

by Homo Digitalis

Homo Digitalis with double representation at Digital World Summit Greece

Homo Digitalis has the great honor and pleasure to participate with double representation at the Digital World Summit Greece, on Tuesday 28 May at the National Hellenic Research Foundation!

Specifically, our Vice President and Partner at Digital Law Experts (DLE), Stefanos Vitoratos, will participate as a moderator in the 1st panel of the conference, on the topic “AI: The intersection between regulation and innovation”, in a fascinating panel discussion featuring Dimitris Gerogiannis (President AI Catalyst), Lillian Mitrou (Professor, Department of Information & Communication Systems Engineering, University of the Aegean), Charalambos Tsekeris (President of the National Bioethics & Technology Ethics Committee), Yannis Mastrogeorgiou (Special Secretary of Long Term Planning, Presidency of the Greek Government) and Fotis Draganidis (Director of Technology at Microsoft Hellas).

Our Director for Human Rights & Artificial Intelligence, Lambrini Gyftokosta, will participate as a speaker in the 2nd panel of the Digital World Summit Greece 2024, on the topic “Cybersecurity, Citizen Security and Artificial Intelligence”! This very interesting panel will be moderated by Konstantinos Anagnostopoulos (Co-founder & Director, Athens Legal Tech), while Natalia Soulia (Senior Associate | Privacy, Data Protection & Cybersecurity, KG Law FIrm), Thomas Dombridis (Head of the General Directorate of Cybersecurity of the Ministry of Digital Governance), Antonis Broumas (Head of the Law Department of the Ministry of Digital Governance), Antonis Broumas (Head of the Law Department of the Ministry of Digital Governance), and the Head of the Law Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Greece) will also be present as speakers.

You can register and read more about the conference and its programme here.

by Homo Digitalis

Digital Services Act: Striking a Balance Between Online Safety and Free Expression

By Anastasios Arampatzis

The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) stands as a landmark effort to bring greater order to the often chaotic realm of the internet. This sweeping legislation aims to establish clear rules and responsibilities for online platforms, addressing a range of concerns from consumer protection to combatting harmful content. Yet, within the DSA’s well-intentioned provisions lies a fundamental tension that continues to challenge democracies worldwide: how do we ensure a safer, more civil online environment without infringing on the essential liberties of free expression?

This blog delves into the complexities surrounding the DSA’s provisions on chat and content control. We’ll explore how the fight against online harms, including the spread of misinformation and deepfakes, must be carefully weighed against the dangers of censorship and the chilling of legitimate speech. It’s a balancing act with far-reaching consequences for the future of our digital society.

Online Harms and the DSA’s Response

The digital realm, for all its promise of connection and knowledge, has become a breeding ground for a wide range of online harms.  Misinformation and disinformation campaigns erode trust and sow division, while hate speech fuels discrimination and violence against marginalized groups. Cyberbullying shatters lives, particularly those of vulnerable young people. The DSA acknowledges these dangers and seeks to address them head-on.

The DSA places new obligations on online platforms, particularly Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) with a significant reach.  These requirements include:

  • Increased transparency: Platforms must explain how their algorithms work and the criteria they use for recommending and moderating content.
  • Accountability: Companies will face potential fines and sanctions for failing to properly tackle illegal and harmful content.
  • Content moderation: Platforms must outline clear policies for content removal and implement effective, user-friendly systems for reporting problematic content.

The goal of these DSA provisions is to create a more responsible digital ecosystem where harmful content is less likely to flourish and where users have greater tools to protect themselves.

The Censorship Concern

While the DSA’s intentions are admirable, its measures to combat online harms raise legitimate concerns about censorship and the potential suppression of free speech. History is riddled with instances where the fight against harmful content has served as a pretext to silence dissenting voices, critique those in power, or suppress marginalized groups.

Civil society organizations have stressed the need for DSA to include clear safeguards to prevent its well-meaning provisions from becoming tools of censorship. It’s essential to have precise definitions of  “illegal” or  “harmful” content – those that directly incite violence or break existing laws. Overly broad definitions risk encompassing satire, political dissent, and artistic expression, which are all protected forms of speech.

Suppressing these forms of speech under the guise of safety can have a chilling effect, discouraging creativity, innovation, and the open exchange of ideas vital to a healthy democracy. It’s important to remember that what offends one person might be deeply important to another. The DSA must tread carefully to avoid empowering governments or platforms to unilaterally decide what constitutes acceptable discourse.

Deepfakes and the Fight Against Misinformation

Deepfakes, synthetic media manipulated to misrepresent reality, pose a particularly insidious threat to the integrity of information. Their ability to make it appear as if someone said or did something they never did has the potential to ruin reputations, undermine trust in institutions, and even destabilize political processes.

The DSA rightfully recognizes the danger of deepfakes and places an obligation on platforms to make efforts to combat their harmful use. However, this is a complex area where the line between harmful manipulation and legitimate uses can become blurred. Deepfake technology can also be harnessed for satire, parody, or artistic purposes.

The challenge for the DSA lies in identifying deepfakes created with malicious intent while protecting those generated for legitimate forms of expression. Platforms will likely need to develop a combination of technological detection tools and human review mechanisms to make these distinctions effectively.

The Responsibility of Tech Giants

When it comes to spreading harmful content and the potential for online censorship, a large portion of the responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of major online platforms. These tech giants play a central role in shaping the content we see and how we interact online.

The DSA directly addresses this immense power by imposing stricter requirements on the largest platforms, those deemed Very Large Online Platforms. These requirements are designed to promote greater accountability and push these platforms to take a more active role in curbing harmful content.

A key element of the DSA is the push for transparency. Platforms will be required to provide detailed explanations of their content moderation practices, including the algorithms used to filter and recommend content. This increased visibility aims to prevent arbitrary or biased decision-making and offers users greater insight into the mechanisms governing their online experiences.

Protecting Free Speech – Where do We Draw the Line?

The protection of free speech is a bedrock principle of any democratic society. It allows for the robust exchange of ideas, challenges to authority, and provides a voice for those on the margins. Yet, as the digital world has evolved, the boundaries of free speech have become increasingly contested.

The DSA represents an honest attempt to navigate this complex terrain, but it’s vital to recognize that there are no easy answers. The line between harmful content and protected forms of expression is often difficult to discern. The DSA’s implementation must include strong safeguards informed by fundamental human rights principles to ensure space for diverse opinions and critique.

In this effort, we should prioritize empowering users. Investing in media literacy education and promoting tools for critical thinking are essential in helping individuals become more discerning consumers of online information.

Conclusion

The Digital Services Act signals an important turning point in regulating the online world. The struggle to balance online safety and freedom of expression is far from over. The DSA provides a strong foundation but needs to be seen as a step in an ongoing process, not a final solution. To ensure a truly open, democratic, and safe internet, we need continuing vigilance, robust debate, and the active participation of both individuals and civil society.

by Homo Digitalis

We participate in InfoRights 2024 in Corfu

Homo Digitalis has the great pleasure to participate in the Third Interdisciplinary Conference, organized by the Corfu Reading Society on 17 & 18 May 2024 entitled “Human Rights in the Information Age: Benchmarks of History, Law, Ethics and Culture”.

Our member Christos Zanganas will represent Homo Digitalis at the Conference, and on Saturday 18 at 12:00 he will present Homo Digitalis’ work for the protection of human rights in relation to the information society in Greece!

We would like to thank the organizers for the very honorable invitation!

You can register for free to attend the conference in person or read more about it here.

The focus of the interdisciplinary themes of the conference is human rights in relation to information in terms of history, regulation (law and ethics) and culture. It is co-organised by the Cultural and Historical Heritage Documentation Laboratory of TABM, the IHRC Research Group of TABM, and the Ionian University Library and Information Centre with the collaboration of the UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage and Heritage-related Activities of the Ionian University, as well as the Corfu Bar Association and the Ionian University Museum Collections.

by Homo Digitalis