‘Personal data is being exploited by political youth movements’

NEW UNIVERSITY entrants are being bombarded with SMS from political parties before they have even enrolled, a move some groups have condemned as a gross violation of privacy.

The Green Party yesterday strongly condemned the “vehement violation of personal data” of new students at the University of Cyprus by student political movements.

The party’s leader George Perdikis, used his own son, who achieved a place in the university, as an example.

Perdikis wondered how it was possible that a specific youth movement knew about his son’s success before he did. “I don’t know where from, but they found my phone number, my wife’s number and our home number. We have from that moment been bombarded with text messages on our mobile phones, which is happening to many other new students,” said Perdikis.

He said that he had already informed the Education Minister and the Commissioner for the Protection of Personal Data over the issue. “This situation must stop; personal data cannot be exploited by political youth movements.”

Perdikis added, “Before the student’s code number was announced, this student movement knew his name, phone number, his father’s number and his mother’s, the house number and his address.

“This is unacceptable; something that takes place during dictatorship. The KGB and CIA are nothing compared to how these student political movements operate.”

He called on all movements to respect the law and students’ personal rights.

“It is unheard of for every Maria, Irini and Marios to have the nerve to use mine and my son’s personal data,” Perdikis added, before wondering, “When will this situation end?”

He said he had proof showing that the two biggest student movements – AKEL-affiliated Proodeftiki and DISY’s Protoporia – had sent him messages, which he would be handing over to the Education Ministry.