Course List

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical understanding of the connections between law and digital technologies.
• Understand contemporary ethical and legal issues arising from the widespread use of information technology and communications technologies.
• Possess analytical skills for modern regulatory models in digital technology.
• Have advanced knowledge of the evolving landscape of digital constitutionalism and the current challenges in the rule of law, democracy, and rights.
• Demonstrate critical understanding of the necessity and utilization of regulatory frameworks regarding the uses of emerging digital technologies in risk management environments.
• Exhibit an increased critical awareness of the evolutionary dynamics in the cognitive fields of cyber-security, privacy protection, artificial intelligence, and how they create new social, cultural, political, economic, and ethical issues in modern societies.
• Understand the challenges of digital justice, potential issues from the bureaucratization of justice, and ethical dimensions arising from them.
• Possess advanced state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the subjects of the course, serving as a foundation for original thinking and research activities.

Syllabus

• Challenging stereotypes about the relationship between law and digital technology: The intricate interaction of digital technology with the economy, politics, society, and culture. The “demystification” of techno-scientific dynamics: Philosophy of Technology, Critical Social Theory, and “Science and Technology Studies” (STS).
• Regulation models of digital technology: The contribution of legal theory. The U.S. model of digital regulation. Risk-based regulation: Towards a unified regulatory model for digital technology?
• The EU’s “soft law” of digitization: Regulatory scope and interaction: The ethics of information (Technoethics). Self-regulation and institutional ethical rules. “Law & Technology”: The role of law in the information age and the principles of digital constitutionalism and humanism.
• The evolution of balancing/harmonization of privacy with the collection and use of personal data for economic, political, scientific, and social purposes in the EU: Directive 1995/46/EC on Data Protection, Law 2472/1997, and the role of the Hellenic Data Protection Authority. Legislative innovation or bureaucratic slip? General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2016/679), risk management, and the recognition of self-regulation. “Dignified” compromise or a synthesis of rationalities?
• Data governance between the EU, the state, and the market: Creating European common data spaces: The EU strategy for developing a data economy that respects rights and freedoms. Proposal for a Regulation on the European Health Data Space (COM(2022) 197 final).
• Artificial intelligence: The economic, political, social, and cultural dynamics of artificial intelligence: The new creations of algorithms and platforms. Anthropomorphism and “leveraging” in legal liability categories. Proposal for a Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) COM (2021) 206 final of 21 April 2021- 2021/0106 (COD).
• Challenges to the rule of law, democracy, rights, and digital constitutionalism: Digital governance (Directives 2016/2102 & 2019/1024 and Law 4727/2020 for the Digital Governance Code). The dynamics of algorithmic governance: transparency and accountability. Digital surveillance and identification by public and/or private authorities.
• The challenge of digital justice: A preliminary theoretical question: technological modernization or re-codification of the law? Defining the problem: the bureaucratization of justice and the multiple roles of judges. The ethical dimension of digitizing justice (Council of Europe, European ethical Charter on the use of Artificial Intelligence in judicial systems and their environment, 2018).
• The digitization of markets and labor: The economic freedom of traders on platforms (Regulation 2019/1150). The protection of the online consumer (Directive 2019/2161). The digital reorganization of production (Telework & Digital Work Card Law 4808/2021, algorithmic management), and the rights of digital workers (Proposal for a directive on improving working conditions in platform work COM (2021) 762 final).
• Analysis of technological and social risks within the framework of political and legislative processes.
• Utilization and creation of regulatory frameworks for the uses of emerging digital technologies in a risk management environment.
• Study of the risk-regulation relationship and focus on its individual types. Analysis of alternative methods of risk management (technological, legislative, economic, etc.)
• Identification of regulatory failures and highlighting issues of performance, effectiveness, ethics, and social legitimacy in technological governance.

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical understanding of the relationship between law and new technologies
• Understand contemporary legal issues arising from the widespread use of information technology and communications
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the legal framework for electronic commerce, provision of electronic services, and e-business
• Acquire the necessary knowledge and flexibility for the design and analysis of electronic business processes
• Develop analytical and critical skills regarding the impact of the Internet on commerce (internationalization, outsourcing, new e-business models, etc.) and digital entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on legal and regulatory issues
• Obtain essential knowledge for the effective management of related issues and cases in practice, utilizing both interdisciplinary and comparative methods
• Possess advanced, state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the subject matter of the course, serving as a foundation for original thinking and research activities

Syllabus

• Introduction to the relationship between law and new technologies. Introduction to technology.
• Internet: technical and organizational structure. Domain Name System (DNS).
• Models of electronic business (B2B, B2C, C2C, etc.). New methods of electronic business with examples: a) public funding (crowdfunding), b) retail without inventory (dropshipping), c) Internet of Things.
• Law and the Information Society (IS): The legal framework for electronic business (e-Business). Regulatory provisions and constraints for commercial activities on the Internet – a critical approach. Regulatory interventions – Self-regulation / co-regulation.
• The three pillars to ensure the right to participate in the IS: 1) Universal service, 2) Network neutrality, 3) Network and service security.
• The Directive on Electronic Commerce (e-Commerce Directive): Provision of services in the Information Society.
• IS services and competition: Regulations 2022/1925 (Digital Markets Act – DMA) and 2019/1150 (intermediary services).
• The Directive on Electronic Commerce (e-Commerce Directive): The system of exemption from liability. Recent developments – strengthening the liability of intermediary providers. Regulation 2022/2065 on Digital Services (Digital Services Act-DSA).
• Organization of the operation of commercial websites. Remote contract conclusion – the direct liability of the seller/service provider. Payment methods.
• Consumer protection legislation – mandatory content of commercial websites – general terms of transactions – alternative dispute resolution. Online advertising.
• Directives 2019/770 (digital content & digital services) and 2019/771 (sale of goods), incorporation into Greek law (Law 4967/22), recent case law, practical implementation issues.
• Security and integrity of transactions – Cryptography – Electronic signatures.
• Legal issues arising from the use of distributed ledger technology (blockchain) and cryptocurrencies in electronic business.

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the relationships between law and digital technologies.
• Understand contemporary legal issues arising from the widespread use of information and communication technologies.
• Possess significant knowledge of modern attacks on information systems and cybercrimes.
• Have the ability to critically analyze modern regulatory approaches to addressing cybercrimes.
• Understand the various dimensions of economic cybercrimes.
• Possess advanced knowledge of the evolving landscape of digital criminology and regulations regarding e-evidence.
• Understand the legal, socio-legal, and geopolitical dimensions of cybersecurity.
• Possess state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the subjects of the course as a basis for original thinking and research activities.

Syllabus

• Introduction to the concept of Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, and Digital Forensics – Introduction to basic concepts.
• International Environment and Framework: Convention on Cybercrime, Union Framework (NIS Directives 1/2, Cybersecurity Act, etc.) – Overview of the Greek regulatory framework governing cybercrime/electronic crime.
• Unauthorized access to information systems/attacks on information systems (e.g., disruption of operation): Legal framework – Forms of attacks (Legal dimension, reference to attack forms).
• Unauthorized access to data/data tampering (Legal dimension, reference to attack forms).
• Crimes against privacy/freedom of communications and security (electronic) communications (Legal dimension, reference to attack forms).
• Economic Cybercrime: Digital fraud/computer fraud. Social engineering as a method of fraud.
• Economic Cybercrime: Cryptocurrencies and criminal law.
• Unfair and illegal content on the Internet (child pornography/hate speech, etc.) – Issues regarding the detection of unfair and illegal content on the Internet.
• Cybercrime: Jurisdiction, Judicial cooperation – Place of the crime. Concept and regulation of e-evidence.
• Digital Forensic Investigation: Preconditions – Technical/legal – Procedural requirements, methodology issues, applications, and tools.
• Digital Forensic Investigation: Visit to/lectures from Cybercrime Prosecution Officials, Directorate of Cybercrime Investigations.
• Concepts and legal dimension/legal-political/geopolitical dimension of Cybersecurity. Evolution and Policies for Cybersecurity.
• Regulatory framework and implementation issues (NIS Directive 2/Cybersecurity Act) – Implementation bodies – Implementation issues.

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical understanding of the integration of digital technologies in both traditional and contemporary legal fields.
• Understand the legal challenges arising from the rapid dissemination of information and communication technologies.
• Possess the ability to identify and understand rights related to the consolidation of new technologies, such as rights related to the information society, personal data protection, and communication confidentiality.
• Adequately identify new sources of endangering and restricting rights.
• Have an increased critical awareness in shaping appropriate methods of balancing the protection of digital rights and the goals of public interest.
• Possess state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the subjects of the course as a basis for original thinking and research activities.

Syllabus

• Historical overview and genealogy of the right to communication protection – national and supranational regulatory foundations – the need for communication protection in the poetry of Homer, Akhmatova, Dickinson, and in the narratives of Chekhov and Kafka.
• Personal data in electronic communications – the information society, new rights, and limitations.
• Regulatory framework of electronic communications in EU and national law – basic principles, rights, limitations.
• Protection of the right to privacy: national Constitutions, European Convention on Human Rights, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union – regulatory determination of the right under the dialectics of multi-level constitutionalism.
• Communication privacy from the early Greek Constitutions to the celebratory affirmation in the post-dictatorship Constitution of 1975: autonomous safeguarding and historical contexts – comparative analogies in the European constitutions of the 20th century.
• The “absolute” protection and institutional guarantees for the right in Article 19 of the Greek Constitution – limitations of the right for reasons of national security and specific serious crimes.
• The procedure for lifting confidentiality – competent authority, documentation of the request, duration of the measure, supervision of the process, judicial protection – uniform procedure or distinct categories of confidentiality (journalistic, medical, legal, etc.) – critical approach to the existing framework.
• Eavesdropping in terms of the scope of communication privacy: from the opinions of prosecutors G. Sanidas, I. Ntogiakos, and the decision of the Council of State 1593/2016 to the espionage software of the 21st century.
• The jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights as a reference framework for the effective protection of the right – dynamic interpretation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights: delimitation of the scope, criteria of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
• The difficult balancing of the ECtHR: the concept of lawful interest in matters of privacy protection, the need for ex ante and ex post supervision of the process of imposing restrictions, adherence to the necessary measure within the democratic state.
• Data retention: the protection of metadata communication as a critical dimension of the right – the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the constitutional patriotism of national courts.
• Mass or strategic surveillance as a limit to the concept of lawful restriction – ECtHR jurisprudence: from Weber and Saravia to Big Brother Watch (I and II) – basic principles and criteria – reasoned utilization or reversal of the rule-exception relationship?
• Awaiting e-privacy: basic principles, scope, difficult balancing – overall assessment of the current situation regarding the protection of personal data in the field of electronic communications.

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical understanding of the relationship between law and digital technologies
• Understand contemporary legal issues arising from the widespread use of information and communication technologies
• Be familiar with the concepts of privacy, informational self-determination, and personal data.
• Have the ability to critically analyze data protection regulations at the national, EU, and international levels, and understand the relationship between technological, legal, and regulatory developments
• Possess advanced knowledge of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), its adoption framework, data categories, scope of application, legal bases for processing, and processing principle
• Holistically understand issues related to the rights of data subjects, the roles and responsibilities of data controllers, processors, data protection officers, as well as issues of cross-border flow of personal data and related regulatory models
• Possess an enhanced critical awareness of the evolving dynamics of knowledge fields related to privacy protection, personal data, cyber security, artificial intelligence, and how these raise new social, cultural, political, and economic issues
• Possess state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the subjects of the course as a basis for original thinking and research activities.

Syllabus

• Introduction to the concepts of private/family life, “home,” and digital equipment, privacy, the right to informational self-determination, and personal data.
• Evolution of data protection law at international/EU and national levels (Council of Europe Convention 108/EU Directive 95/46/EC, GDPR, Law 2472/97, etc.) – Relationship between technological, legal, and regulatory developments.
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Adoption framework (legal, economic, etc. dimensions), concepts, data categories, scope of application.
• Legal bases for processing (consent, contract, vital interest, legal obligation, public interest, legitimate interest).
• Principles of processing: lawfulness, fairness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimization, limited data retention period, accuracy, accountability.
• Principle of security – Security obligations – Data breaches and transparency notification obligations.
• Issues of cross-border flow of personal data – Regulatory models/Interstate agreements.
• Controller’s obligations: Data protection by design/by default – Impact assessment – Data Protection Officer.
• Data subject rights – Institutional Control – Legal protection.
• Special issues: processing and protection of personal data for the prevention, investigation, detection, or prosecution of criminal offenses – Directive 2016/680 EU.
• Special issues: processing and protection of personal data in the context of employment relationships.
• Special issues: processing and protection of personal data within the framework and for the purposes of the administration of justice.
• Special issues: processing health data – Relationship with medical confidentiality. Smart health and precision medicine – Wearable health devices.

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• Grasp critical concepts related to the relationship between national and EU law.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the fundamental concepts of competition law.
• Understand contemporary legal issues arising from the widespread use of technology in business competition.
• Possess the ability to critically analyze modern regulatory models in the national and EU markets.
• Acquire enhanced knowledge of the evolving environment of digital competition, particularly due to prohibited collaborations through algorithms.
• Have an increased critical understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of knowledge fields in competition law, privacy protection, artificial intelligence, and state aid law.
• Recognize the challenges of addressing corruption and key legal issues in information and communications technologies.
• Possess advanced state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the course subjects, serving as a basis for original thinking and research activities.

Syllabus

• Introduction to EU Internal Market Law – Relationships between national and EU law and the role of competition law.
• Introduction to Competition Law in the EU (general principles, theoretical and economic background).
• Interpretation and application of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (general framework).
• Competition and Tech Giants – Specifics of the digital economy.
• Familiarization with case law precedents and administrative practices of competition authorities (case studies) – Structured into three (3) specific areas: • Collaborations and collusion in the digital economy (artificial intelligence, algorithms, blockchain). • Cases of abuse of dominant position (Microsoft, Google cases). • Mergers and acquisitions in the digital economy (Facebook/Instagram, Facebook/WhatsApp, Google/DoubleClick, Microsoft/LinkedIn, Apple/Shazam).
• Turning points in competition law, legislation on data protection, and intellectual property rights.
• Introduction to State Aid Law.
• Deepening in State Aid Law – The example of telecommunications.
• Deepening in State Aid Law – The example of patent boxes.
• Corruption, economic crime, and information and communication technologies. Basic concepts. Analysis of forms of cybercrime. Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain technology.
• Legal handling of economic crimes using information and communication technologies: analysis of the objective and subjective nature and the streams of offenses.
• Analysis of difficulties in their confrontation.
• Political, social, economic, legal, technological, and ethical approach.

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• To demonstrate critical understanding of the relationships between intellectual property law and digital technologies
• To acquire enhanced knowledge and insight into specialized areas of intellectual property law
• To comprehend contemporary legal issues arising from the widespread use of information technology and communications
• To gain specialized knowledge required for a professional activity focused on innovation and intellectual property
• To possess the ability to communicate orally and in writing, engaging in sophisticated argumentation in the field of intellectual property law in a comprehensive manner
• To have the ability to gather, interpret, and apply legislation, case law, and literature to solve complex issues in specialized areas of intellectual property law
• To possess advanced, state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the subjects of the course, serving as a foundation for original thinking and research activities

Syllabus

• Introduction to intellectual property law and new technologies (introductory presentation of copyright law, trademark law, patent law).
• Intellectual property law: Object of protection – criteria of human intellectual effort and originality. Presentation of case law from Greece and Europe.
• Intellectual property law: Object of protection – the concept of work and specialization by categories, with emphasis on software and databases. Presentation of case law from Greece and Europe.
• Intellectual property law: Subject of protection – analysis of cases of dependent creator, creator of software. Presentation of case law from Greece and Europe.
• Intellectual property law: Content of protection – presentation of moral rights and correlation with new technologies.
• Intellectual property law: Content of protection – presentation of proprietary rights and correlation with new technologies.
• Intellectual property law – Limitations/exceptions of proprietary rights – presentation of standardized open access licenses (Creative Commons).
• Introduction to the philosophy of open-source software, presentation of major open-source licenses (GPL, EUPL), and discussion of legal challenges.
• Discussion on digital accessibility to creative material in the era of artificial intelligence and the metaverse.
• Trademark law in the digital era – NFTs, virtual goods/services.
• Patent law and new technologies.
• Presentation of special topics related to emerging technologies (e.g., Metaverse & Intellectual Property issues).
• Presentation of special topics related to emerging technologies (e.g., Artificial Intelligence & Intellectual Property Issues).

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• To understand basic elements of qualitative and quantitative research methodology
• To demonstrate critical understanding of legal issues arising in specific application environments (e.g., health, transportation, space, shipping)
• To comprehend contemporary legal issues arising from the widespread use of technology (cyberphobia, decentralized autonomous organization and smart contracts, blockchain, democracy and social credit systems, biometrics and AI, modern tracking technologies and cookies, privacy-enhancing technologies, fundamental rights impact assessment methodologies)
• To possess a critical awareness of the evolutionary dynamics of the intersection of the cognitive fields of privacy protection, cyber-security, and artificial intelligence
• To have an enhanced state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the subjects of the course, as a basis for original thinking and research activity

Syllabus

• Methodological issues in scientific research
• Special Topics in Internet Law (indicative):
  • Freedom of the Press, Fake News
  • Metaverse Security and Privacy issues
  • Internet and Social Media
  • Digital Gap and Information and Communication Technologies
  • Smart Cities and Internet of Things: Legal Issues
  • E-Gambling and Legal Issues
  • Use of Open Source and Legal Issues
  • Cloud Technologies and Legal Issues
  • Legal Issues in E-Government
  • Legal Issues in E-Banking
  • Legal Regulations of Labor Relations in the Information Society
  • Rights of Children in the Digital World
  • Public-Private Partnerships and Projects in Information and Communication Technologies
  • Public Contracts and Special Issues for Information and Communication Technologies Projects

Learning Outcomes

Within the framework of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand critical concepts related to Artificial Intelligence, algorithms, and Artificial Intelligence systems, as well as issues of regulation
• Demonstrate critical understanding of the regulatory models of Artificial Intelligence
• Understand contemporary ethical issues arising from the utilization of Artificial Intelligence systems
• Possess comprehensive knowledge of the proposed regulatory framework in the European Union, the Artificial Intelligence Act
• Have the ability to critically analyze liability issues arising from the use of Artificial Intelligence systems, as reflected in case law and regulatory requirements
• Understand the legal issues arising from Generative Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models
• Demonstrate critical understanding of the impacts of Artificial Intelligence in various application environments
• Understand the challenges posed by the evolving dynamics of the combination of the cognitive fields of cyber security, privacy protection, and Artificial Intelligence
• Possess advanced, state-of-the-art specialized scientific knowledge in the subjects of the course, serving as a basis for original thinking and research activity

Syllabus

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence – Concepts and Definitions (Artificial Intelligence, algorithms, Artificial Intelligence systems)
• Introduction to the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence – Technological, Legal, and Economic Framework – Regulatory Needs and Requirements – Regulatory Models – self-regulation, co-regulation, and regulatory intervention.
• Ethical – Deontological Principles – Respect for Human Autonomy: Harm Prevention – Explainability – Legal, philosophical, ethical, and technical perspectives.
• Ethical and Regulatory Principles and Requirements: Involvement of the Human Factor / Human Intervention and Supervision – Technical robustness and safety – Data protection and information management – Transparency – Diversity, prohibition of discrimination, and fairness – Social and environmental well-being – Accountability.
• The Regulatory Framework of Artificial Intelligence in the EU – Introduction to key concepts, regulatory philosophy, and provisions of the Artificial Intelligence Act.
• Liability issues from the use of Artificial Intelligence systems – Case law and regulatory requirements (AI Liability Directive Proposal).
• Legal issues regarding Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Democracy, Digital Constitution, and Artificial Intelligence (review of the “social contract” in the digital age, issues of digital sovereignty, misinformation).
• Models and methodologies of algorithmic impact assessment and consequences of the use of Artificial Intelligence.
• Artificial Intelligence and personal data (profiling, automated decision-making, use of personal data for algorithm training / machine learning).
• Artificial Intelligence in the Justice system / framework.
• Artificial Intelligence and administration/governance systems – Application of good governance principles in the use of Artificial Intelligence.
• Ethical and Legal issues in the use of Artificial Intelligence in Health.

The MSc Thesis is typically undertaken individually (or in pairs) by each postgraduate student, under the supervision of a professor or instructor in the context of the MSc Program (Supervisor), in accordance with the provisions of the relevant legislation, and it concerns a subject that falls within the scientific scope of the Postgraduate Program.

Each MSc Thesis must demonstrate advanced theoretical knowledge, critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills, and it is desirable for it to showcase the research capabilities of the postgraduate student in generating new knowledge.

The MSc Thesis may address theoretical or applied topics, and it is permissible to be carried out in collaboration with a private or public entity engaged or interested in subjects related to those addressed by the MSc Program, within the framework of the provisions of the current legislation.

MSc Theses are assessed based on criteria such as the careful selection of bibliographic sources, the scientific correctness of the analysis of existing knowledge, the in-depth study of the field, the breadth of coverage of the topic, precision in description, coherent structure, and vivid representation of arguments. Additionally, the assessment considers elements of research contribution and the generation of new knowledge in the scientific field, overall scientific maturity, conformity of appearance and content with relevant guidelines, as well as maturity during the oral presentation, consistency in the available time, and scientifically sound responses to questions from the Examination Committee.

Further details on the subsequent procedures and the overall framework for submitting applications, supervision during the completion, writing, presentation, and evaluation are included in the respective Regulation for the MSc Thesis.