The Data Protection Commissioner, Maria Christofidou, has imposed a fine of €6,000 has been imposed by the Commissioner for the Protection of Personal Data, Maria Christofidou, on Fidias Panagiotou following an ex officio investigation she conducted regarding the implementation of the “Agora” Direct Democracy“Agora.”
In a lengthy statement, the Commissioner chronologically details the events and omissions on the part of Mr. Panagiotou, to temporarily suspend the app’s operation entirely, despite repeated decisions to the contrary.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Specifically, a violation of the obligation to cooperate with the Personal Data Protection Authority was found in connection with the operation of the “Agora” app/web platform
Furthermore, among other things, it cites as an aggravating factor “the limited degree of cooperation with the Authority, since the existence of correspondence and the submission of specific information do not negate the fact that the Respondent failed to fully comply with the clear request to temporarily suspend the platform’s operation and did not provide, from the outset, complete and clear feedback regarding the compliance actionsit had undertaken.”
At the same time, it is added that the submission of information and assurances which, “in light of the Authority’s subsequent findings, did not fully and accurately reflect the platform’s actual operational status, a fact that hindered and/or obstructed the Authority’s thorough assessment of the case.”
Meanwhile, at the time the Commissioner requested the temporary suspension of the app’s operation, certain functions of the platform that involved the collection and/or processing of personal data remained active.
At the same time, reference is made to the statements by Fidias Panagiotou regarding the failure to suspend the app’s operation, “which are assessed as evidence supporting the lack of a genuine willingness to comply and cooperate with the
Authority.”
Conversely, the absence of intent on the part of Mr. Panagiotou is considered a mitigating factor.
Taking into account all the circumstances of the case, as well as the mitigating and aggravating factors, the On-Site Authority decided to impose an administrative fine of €6,000 “which I deem reasonable and proportionate under the circumstances of this case, regarding the violation of the provisions of Article 31 of the Regulation.”
View the decision in its entirety:
