In February 2022, the organisations Homo Digitalis, Privacy International, Hellenic League for Human Rights, and HIAS Greece together with researcher Phoebus Simeonidis had submitted a request to the President of the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA)  to exercise its investigative powers regarding the supply of a social media monitoring software  by the Hellenic Coast Guard (more info here).

Now, the HDPA has officially informed us that it has launched the relevant investigative actions, has collected evidence from the Coast Guard Headquarters and is examining it in order to complete its assessment.

It is important to underline that, as it appears in the DIAYGEIA portal, already from the summer of 2022 the companies “BYTE S.A. – GRIVAS S.A.” have probably undertaken the delivery of the relevant project to the Greek Coast Guard.

This is of course another important success for Civil Society organizations in Greece!

We would like to thank the scientific staff of the Hellenic Data Protection Authority, which despite the challenges it faces with its intense workload and reduced financial and human resources, manages to continue its difficult mission.