The communities at the Aegean Greek islands are cut off from data protection educative activities that take place in big cities, like Athens. Thus, there are limited opportunities for them to understand their GDPR rights as individuals, and their GDPR obligations as data controllers (since many of them process personal data during the tourist period). We aim to offer GDPR labs to the Aegean Greek islands, by empowering communities of locals & refugees to participate in GDPR enforcement actions.

Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, particularly the Cyclades, Sporades, Dodecanese groups, and Crete

The people of the Aegean Greek islands are cut off from educative events and data protection activities taking place in big urban cities, such as Athens. These people are not well educated about their GDPR rights as data subjects, as well as their obligations as data controllers or processors, even though many of them process personal data of tourists during the holiday season activities (hotels, renting of cars, travel tickets etc). At the same time, vulnerable refugee communities living in these islands are equally unaware of their rights and freedoms under the GDPR. We aim to raise awareness and educate these communities. In this way, we will be able to develop a network of people in the islands that are able to enforce their GDPR rights and ensure protection of the rights of others.

The target groups of the project GiDPR are:
-Local communities of people (16 to 65+) living in the Aegean Greek islands. These people are cut off from educative activities, especially during the non-tourist season. We need to educate them about their rights and freedoms, and empower them to enforce these rights in practice.
-People (18+) working at the Aegean Greek islands during the tourist season. These people need to better educate themselves on how to properly process personal data, promoting in this way the protection of data of their customers.
-Refugee communities living in the Aegean Greek islands. These people are in a vulnerable position, and we need to inform the about the data protection rights that they enjoy within the EU.

The proposed duration of the project is 12 months. In the very first 3 months, the project officer of Homo Digitalis, assisted by our existing network of volunteers, will develop educative material that will be used in the GDPR labs. This material will be composed of interactive modules aiming at empowering the individuals attending the labs to exercise their GDPR rights. During the same-period, they will engage with local authorities in order to organize the events at local level. The rest 9 months, they will travel to the Aegean Greek islands in order to deliver the GDPR labs. Finally, the project manager will organize the network of the locals/refugees participating (engaging in follow-up communications and feedback, organizing group enforcement actions, offering advices and help etc).

Local communities & refugee communities in the Aegean Greek islands will feel confident about their data protection rights and will understand the ways to exercise their rights in practice. Data access rights will have been exercised during our 10+ GDPR labs, and individuals will no longer feel afraid or confused to exercise the law. Data protection complaints will be filed before the Hellenic Data Protection Authority. Data Controllers will be more educated in enforcing the GDPR provisions and ensuring compliance of their data processing activities. Most importantly, a network of data protection activists will be created in the Aegean Greeks islands and will continue to spread the acquired knowledge in the local communities, establishing a strong connection with Homo Digitalis.

Our project aims to educate people at the Aegean Greek islands on their GDPR rights and obligations, and strengthen their participation in related enforcement actions, such as for example exercising their data access rights and/or filling complaints before the Hellenic Data Protection Authority. The GDPR is two years old, but the enforcement of its provisions has not yet reached its full potential. Thus, the project GiDPR aims to increase active participation of the local and refugee communities. These people should not be victims of the privacy invasive models of modern big tech corporations, but instead empowered individuals who can enforce in practice their rights. Through the GDPR labs the target audience will develop the necessary skills to feel confident to protect their rights.

We founded Homo Digitalis in March 2018 with a vision to introduce digital rights in Greece and empower the people living in our country to exercise and enforce their rights and freedoms in the digital age. Two years later, our organization has managed to develop numerous important actions in the field of digital rights, including the protection of personal data and the enforcement of the GDPR provisions, which is the focus area of this project. This project will give us the opportunity to educate people and empower them to take control of their digital personas, acquire knowledge on the protection of their data, become confident to exercise their rights in practice, and finally be able to pass on their experience and acquired knowledge to their friends and families.

-12 months gross salary for the project officer: 30.000 euro
-Travel expenses for the GDPR labs at the Aegean Greek islands (the funds cover expenses of the project officer and/or volunteers that will assist the project officer in these GDPR labs. These expenses cover accommodation, airplane or boat tickets, and daily expenses): 6.000 euro
-Cost of GDPR labs materials (consumables, banner, guides, kit for participants): 10.000 euro
-Kick-off event and final event of the project: 4.000 euro

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