Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ personal data commissioner on Tuesday moved to halt the operation of the Agora app created by MEP Fidias Panayiotou, citing failures to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Commissioner Maria Christofidou said the authority had formally requested the app’s suspension until a mandatory assessment was completed.
Commissioner cites large-scale processing of special category data
Speaking on radio and television, Christofidou said the platform processes “special categories of data, such as political opinions, on a large scale,” which she said triggers stricter obligations under articles 35 and 36 of the GDPR.
She said an impact assessment is a preventive legal and technical risk assessment carried out before processing begins when there is likely to be a high risk to citizens’ rights.
Authority says it issued warnings and requested suspension
Christofidou said the authority first alerted those involved in October 2025 and sent a letter to Panayiotou’s legal representatives on February 20 requesting immediate suspension.
“So far there has been no written confirmation or action in this direction,” she said.
She urged the public to be “particularly careful” when submitting personal data, especially political views.
Panayiotou rejects request and cites voluntary registration
Panayiotou rejected the request and accused the authority of acting under political pressure ahead of elections.
“There is no way we will remove the application,” he said, adding that if shortcomings were identified “we will fix them the same day.”
He said users register voluntarily and that any dispute would ultimately be taken to the European courts if sanctions were imposed.
What steps do you take to protect your personal data when using apps that collect political opinions?
