Greek expatriates’ privacy breach allegations shake political landscape
The controversy surrounding EU Parliament member Anna Michel Asimakopoulou escalates as Greek expatriates allege privacy breaches due to unsolicited pre-election emails
An issue concerning the privacy of Greek expatriates has surfaced involving the European Parliament member Anna Michel Asimakopoulou.
Last Friday, her office sent pre-election material via email to Greeks living abroad, sparking allegations from several recipients who claimed they never consented to the use of their personal information. This incident has reignited concerns over the ease of personal data leaks and potential breaches of legislation.
As reported by the Greek news channel Kathimerini, many expatriates linked the data leak to their applications on the platform for postal voting. However, the Greek Interior Ministry asserted the event’s coincidence, emphasizing that the outreach to expatriates aligns with the postal vote campaign.
The ministry’s Secretary-General Nasos Balermbas, responded to accusations stating, “The Ministry does not provide voter email addresses to candidates or parties, as per existing legislation.”
While the Interior Ministry consistently denied providing data for journalistic reporting, sources from the ministry excluded the possibility of a leak by an employee, as such an act would lead to dismissal. The voter lists shared with all parties for electoral transparency contain no details beyond voters’ names and addresses.
This controversy has sparked significant interest among expatriates, with 22,200 citizens registering for postal voting in the European elections, including 9,000 outside Greece. Not all received the email from Asimakopoulou’s office.
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, addressing journalists’ queries, referred to the ministry’s response and announced an investigation by the Data Protection Authority. The authority has since initiated a probe into the unwanted electronic communication allegation by the parliamentarian.
SYRIZA President Stefanos Kasselakis, through social media, demanded clarification on how the expatriates’ email addresses were obtained.
In response, Asimakopoulou on the social media platform X asserted that her office collected the data during her tenure, aiming to ask for permission to communicate regularly with them, respecting the General Data Protection Regulation since 2018. Nevertheless, recipients of the material claim they never gave consent for the use of their personal data.
This unfolding situation reflects a growing concern over data protection and privacy, especially in the context of political campaigns and the upcoming European elections.
The government’s reassurance of following protocol does little to mitigate the apprehensions raised by the opposition and the affected individuals, pointing to a broader need for stringent data protection measures and transparent communication channels.
Source: Newsroom
