29 Oct 2004 Ravensberger Spinnerei

BigBrotherAwards 2004

Diagnosis: data hoarding mania

The award given to Lidl has future reverberations (if we may take a glance down the line): In a few years it will lead to a seven-digit fine and very bad publicity for the German discount retailer. Health Minister Ulla Schmidt is responsible for a law to “modernise” statutory health insurance, bringing massive degradations for patients data protection. As an antidote, she is given a BigBrotherAward, without prescription or electronic health card. Her colleague, Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries receives another award, as she continues to rely on "grand eavesdropping" as an instrument of law enforcement. Ears wide open, then: Congratulations on the BigBrotherAward!

The (unfortunate) Awardees 2004

Universitätsgebäude Paderborn aus der Ferne.

Image:Ludger1961 CC-BY-SA Source

Regional (2004)

Paderborn University

The Dean of Paderborn University Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Nikolaus Risch for the video surveillance of lecture halls and computer rooms in "his" university.

Laudator.in

padeluun

Image:Moritz Kosinsky CC-BY-SA 3.0 Source

Health & Social Issues (2004)

Ulla Schmidt

The Big Brother Award in the "Health and Social Issues" category is awarded to the Federal Minister for Health and Social Security, Ms Ulla Schmidt for the bill for the reform of the national health insurance, which came into…

Laudator.in

Werner Hülsmann

Image:joho345 Public Domain

Business & Consumer Protection (2004)

Tchibo

The BigBrotherAward in the "Business and Consumer Protection" category goes to Tchibo for the practice of forwarding their customers' data to the marketing company Arvato / AZ Direct.

Laudator.in

Frank Rosengart

Unternehmenszentrale von Canon in Tokio.

Image:Beao CC-BY-SA 3.0 Source

Technology (2004)

Canon

Canon Germany - An ID number storied in photocopying machines is invisibly printed on *all* copies. As each copier has an individual number, the source of a copy can be traced. This is sold as a feature to protect against…

Laudator.in

Frank Rosengart

Nicht existierendes Verkehrsschild: Zwei Personen halten sich an den Händen. Neben den Händen sind zwei WLAN-Signale.

Image:Dieter Schütz CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

Communication (2004)

Armex

Armex earns a BigBrotherAward for their "Track Your Kid" product - as a representative of several companies that offer child monitoring services.

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Karin Schuler

Image:joho345 Public Domain

Industrial Relations (2004)

Lidl

Summary: The Big Brother Award in the "Industrial Relations" category is won by the Lidl Stiftung ("Foundation"), Co., in Neckarsulm, represented by the founder and "godfather" of the group, Dieter Schwarz for the almost slave…

Laudator.in

Rena Tangens

Show Awardees-Overview