Fidias Panayiotou challenges €6,000 Agora data protection fine

Nicosia, Cyprus. Direct Democracy leader Fidias Panayiotou is taking Data Protection Commissioner Maria Christofidou to the administrative court to challenge a €6,000 fine over his handling of the Agora platform. The party said on Wednesday that it had contacted its lawyer and would seek to have the decision annulled.

Party disputes ruling

Direct Democracy said the ruling did not find that a personal data leak had occurred and instead concerned Panayiotou’s dealings with the regulator. It said the case had been under scrutiny since February and was “not a new incident”. The party said it would make no further comment until its lawyer issued a formal position.

Platform launch and consultation

The dispute stems from Agora’s launch on February 19, before a data protection assessment required under GDPR and prior consultation with the authority had been completed.

The regulator had been in extended correspondence with Panayiotou and his legal advisers after learning the platform was due to go live. It raised concerns about user registration, identification, profile creation and voting features.

Panayiotou’s side argued that compliance measures were in place, the assessment was substantially advanced and several flagged functions did not present a level of risk requiring prior consultation. He also raised arguments about the legal basis for processing user data, the proportionality of the measures sought and his cooperation with the regulator.

Christofidou rejected that account, describing the fine as “reasonable and proportionate” for a breach of prior consultation requirements. She found that Panayiotou, identified in the decision as the platform’s data controller, had not complied with a request to temporarily suspend Agora while it continued to collect and process personal data. She also found that his conduct towards the regulator breached his obligation to cooperate.