The position is that when an authority plans to automate certain tasks, it should provide citizens who do not have the required skills with alternative ways to perform them without putting their personal data at risk, says Data Protection Commissioner Irini Lozidou Nikolaidou.
In a statement, the Commissioner notes that she observes that many public authorities are moving towards automating their work, with the result that citizens are invited to submit their requests only in electronic form, or receive accounts or information on the progress of their requests only in electronic form.
Her Office, she points out, welcomes these initiatives, which are likely in some cases to be imposed by law, such as TAXISNET, and are aimed at reducing bureaucracy, costs and providing faster service to citizens. However, it notes that the automation of tasks also creates problems for persons who do not have the digital skills to meet the new requirements.
"Such a problem arises, for example, when a citizen is required to provide an email address to receive utility bills and is forced to provide the email address of a relevant person. As a result, information is disclosed to that person that the citizen might not have wanted to disclose," she adds.
Citizen access to public services, the Commissioner continues, is a matter that concerns only the citizen. "The issue of potential discrimination does not concern my office. However, if a citizen is forced to disclose personal data to third parties in order to receive certain services, this violates the General Data Protection Regulation," she points out.
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