Theodore Christakis
Professor of International and European Law
Department: School of Law
Colleges / Universities: Université Grenoble Alpes
Contact
151 Rue des Universités
BP 47
GRENOBLE, 38040
France
Théodore Christakis is Professor of International and European Law at the Université Grenoble Alpes. Additionally, he is the Director of the Centre for International Security and European Studies (CESICE) and Co-Director of the Grenoble Alpes Data Institute. Professor Christakis’ research and teaching interests include international security law, international protection of human rights, cyber security law and data protection, and artificial intelligence.
Professor Christakis is a Member of the Institut Universitaire de France and of the French National Digital Council. He is also a Senior Fellow with the Cross-Border Data Forum. Since September 2019 he also holds a Chair on the Legal and Regulatory Implications of Artificial Intelligence with the Multidisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence (MIAI@Grenoble Alpes).
Professor Christakis has published or co-edited 9 books and is the author or co-author of more than 65 articles and book chapters that focus on public international law, international security law, international and European protection of human rights, cyber security law and data protection. He has served as Legal Counsel for governments, international organizations, and the private sector.
Recent Academic Article Summaries
European Digital Sovereignty”: Successfully Navigating Between the “Brussels Effect” and Europe’s Quest for Strategic Autonomy
“European digital sovereignty” encompasses regulatory and strategic concerns. The European Union (EU) is the most powerful global actor in digital regulation, though its power is not unlimited.
The EU should avoid protectionism. Data localization may be needed to protect privacy.
National Security, Surveillance and Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) often decides cases involving a conflict between human rights and surveillance systems intended to protect national security. Surveillance must be necessary and lawful.
The ECtHR has approved some mass surveillance programs. The ECtHR will soon consider key cases involving facial recognition technology.
Transfer of EU Personal Data to U.S. Law Enforcement Authorities After the CLOUD Act: Is There a Conflict with the GDPR?
United States’ law requires firms to turn electronic evidence over to law enforcement even when the data is stored in another country. The law may conflict with European privacy law, which limits data transfers to foreign governments.
European Data Protection authorities should clarify application of European privacy law to criminal evidence.
Cyber-Attacks–Prevention-Reactions: The Role of States and Private Actors
Cyber-attacks are a growing threat to peace and security. Private actors play a leading role in ensuring that digital technologies are secure from cyber-attacks.
Policymakers must reconsider the role of private actors in international conflict.
Blog Posts
Quotes in the News
Christakis, T. (2020, December 2). Politico.“There is no facial recognition component in the current bill. A devil’s advocate could say once it is adopted, things could change.”
Theodore Christakis
Professor of International and European Law
School of Law
Université Grenoble Alpes
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