Email Gate: Greek Data Protection Authority Levies Fines on MEP and State

Excerpt from "Email Gate: Greek Data Protection Authority Levies Fines on MEP and State":

The Hellenic Data Protection Authority has imposed significant fines on both Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou and the Greek state in the aftermath of the "email gate" scandal.

Ms. Asimakopoulou has been fined €40,000 for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Articles 5, 6, and 14. The Authority ruled that she had illegally leaked personal data for vote canvassing. She is facing over 300 lawsuits as a result of the scandal.

The Greek state has been fined €400,000 for its failure to adequately protect the personal information of citizens. The data protection watchdog found that the government collected and used personal data of expatriate voters for political purposes, without their knowledge or consent.

The Authority has temporarily deferred its decision regarding conservative New Democracy party member Nikos Theodoropoulos. In his sworn statement, Mr. Theodoropoulos claimed to have obtained the electoral rolls from an unnamed party official, contradicting earlier statements from the government. Further investigation into his claims is ongoing.

Approximately 230 expatriates have filed lawsuits against the Greek state, seeking compensation for the misuse of their personal data. The total amount claimed reportedly exceeds €6 million.

The Data Protection Authority has ordered Ms. Asimakopoulou to delete the leaked data and has instructed the Greek state to take necessary measures to comply with the GDPR within a specified timeframe.

This excerpt provides a concise overview of the main points of the article, including the fines imposed, the lawsuits filed, and the ongoing investigation into Mr. Theodoropoulos's claims.