Winners | BigBrotherAwards

Image:SPD in Niedersachsen (Daniel Junker)CC-BY-ND 2.0 Source

Communication (2007)

Brigitte Zypries

The BigBrotherAward in the “Communication” category goes to the Federal Minister of Justice, Ms Brigitte Zypries, for a bill that will introduce the retention of all telecommunications connection data in Germany. With this bill…

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Dr. Fredrik Roggan

Ein Oldtimer auf einer Straße nahe einem Gewässer (Foto in Sepia-Färbung).

Image:Ana GarciaCC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

Technology (2007)

PTV

The BigBrotherAward 2007 in the “Technology” category goes to PTV Planung Transport Verkehr AG, represented by Dr Hans Hubschneider, for their system for individual rating of car insurances with the so-called “pay-as-you-drive”…

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Frank Rosengart

Authorities & Administration ()

Government Authorities & Administration: Monika Harms

The BigBrotherAward in the “Government and Administration” category goes to Germany’s Federal Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwältin), Monika Harms. She receives the BigBrotherAward for her anti-terror measures against opponents of the…

Ein ICE der Deutschen Bahn, der gerade aus einem Tunnel kommt.

Image:Sebastian Terfloth CC-BY-SA 3.0

Business (2007)

Deutsche Bahn

The BigBrotherAward 2007 in the “Business” category goes to Deutsche Bahn AG (German Railways PLC), represented by its CEO, Hartmut Mehdorn, for their systematic endeavours to make anonymous travelling practically impossible…

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padeluun

Türschild mit dem Text: „Ständige Konferenz der Kultusminister der Länder in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland“.

Image:Uwe Hiksch CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0 Source

Authorities & Administration (2006)

Conference for Education

And the winner is: the Federal Conference of Ministers for Education. For plans to introduce life-long student IDs, without binding the individual educational data to a defined purpose, nor guarding them against misuse and…

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Karin Schuler

Ein alter Fernseher mit weißem Rauschen.

Image:undacovabroda45 CC-BY 2.0 Source

Reprimands & Commendation (2006)

A short retrospective ...

About Big Brother on German highways, a fee for computers with access to the internet, a radio or a TV card, RFID politics in Europe, and how that's related to the German BigBrotherAwards.

Ein erhobener Zeigefinger in schwarz-weiß.

Image:jazzlog CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

Reprimands & Commendation (2006)

Notes of Disapproval

Not all nominees for the Big Brother Award have made it. Several times, the jury had great difficulty not to sanction a violation of data protection with one of our unwanted prizes. But data leeches who think they might run off…

Verwaltungsgebäude der Philips GmbH in Hamburg. Der Himmel ist dämmernd, der Mond scheint.

Image:Staro1 CC-BY-SA 3.0 Source

Technology (2006)

Philips

This year the Philips company accomplishes the BigBrotherAward in “Technology” for the specification that CD burners write their unique serial number on the CD and thus facilitate tracking of the storage medium to the burner.

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Frank Rosengart

Collage aus einen Wörterbucheintrag zum Wort "insurance" (linke Bildhälfte) und einer Familie betehend aus zwei Elternteilen und einem Baby (rechte Bildhälfte).

Bild: Alan Cleaver (links – CC-BY 2.0, Quelle), David Amsler (rechts – CC-BY 2.0, Quelle)

Consumer Protection (2006)

GDV

The award in this category was well earned by the German Insurers’ Association for its “warnings and indications” database, which insurers use to exchange substantial amounts of data about millions of citizens — with undisclosed…

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Rena Tangens

Wolfgang Schäuble hebt die Hand zum Schwur während einer Bundesinnenministerkonferenz.

Bild: Deutscher Bundestag (Lichtblick Achim Melde); Nutzungsbedingungen

Politics (2006)

Federal Conference of the Ministers of the Interior

In this year two “lucky winners” achieve awards in this category: the members of the Fourth Parliament of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for legislation that allows eavesdropping and sound recording in public space…

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Dr. Rolf Gössner

Das Schweriner Schloss mit einer Brücke als Zufahrt. Der Himmel ist strahlend blau.

Image:Chriusha CC-BY-SA 3.0 Source

Politics (2006)

Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

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Alvar Freude

Detailaufnahme eines Überweisungsträgers, der nicht ausgefüllt ist.

Image:Timo Klostermeier CC-BY-NC 3.0

Business (2006)

SWIFT

The BigBrotherAward in this category goes to: SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication), for sharing bank transfer data with US authorities.

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Werner Hülsmann

About BigBrotherAwards

In a compelling, entertaining and accessible format, we present these negative awards to companies, organisations, and politicians. The BigBrotherAwards highlight privacy and data protection offenders in business and politics, or as the French paper Le Monde once put it, they are the “Oscars for data leeches”.

Credits

More about us

Organised by (among others):

BigBrotherAwards International

The BigBrotherAwards are an international project: Questionable practices have been decorated with these awards in 19 countries so far.