Winners

Ein alter Fernseher mit weißem Rauschen.

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)

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.

Laudator.in

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…

Laudator.in

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…

Laudator.in

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

Laudator.in

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.

Laudator.in

Werner Hülsmann

Image:mkorsakov CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0 Source

Regional (2005)

Primary school Ennigloh, Volksbank Herford and Sparkasse Herford

The Primary school "Grundschule Ennigloh" near Bünde and the banks "Volksbank Bad Oeynhausen Herford eG" and "Sparkasse Herford" earn a BigBrotherAward for sharing names of school beginners with the said banks for use in…

Laudator.in

padeluun

Volker Bouffier an einem Redner.innenpult.

Image:Martin Kraft CC-BY-SA 3.0 Source

Politics (2005)

Volker Bouffier

The Minister of the Interior of the state of Hesse, Mr Volker Bouffier, earns a BigBrotherAward for the "preventive" locating and tapping of mobile phones; for DNA-analysing child delinquents under 14 for use in future prosecution…

Laudator.in

Dr. Fredrik Roggan

Blick auf eine Menge Fußballfans mit Deutschlandfahnen vor einer grißen Leinwand.

Image:Madebyr.de CC-BY-ND 2.0 Source

Consumer Protection (2005)

FIFA World Cup 2006

The organising committee for the soccer World Cup within the German football association (Deutscher Fussballbund, DFB) - represented by Mr Franz Beckenbauer earns a BigBrotherAward for the inquisitorial questions asked in ticket…

Laudator.in

Rena Tangens

Detailaufnahme einer Videoüberwachungskamera vor einer großen Fensterfront.

Image:er CC-BY-SA 3.0

Technology (2005)

Video surveillance

The BigBrotherAward in the category Technology goes to a number of very eager surveillance fetishists for the creeping degradation of citizens to objects of continual compulsory observation and playing down the consequences of…

Laudator.in

Karin Schuler

Image:Kai-Erik CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 Source

Communication (2005)

High Office of Public Prosecution SH

The Generalstaatsanwaltschaft (High Office of Public Prosecution) of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, represented through Mr Erhard Rex earns a BigBrotherAward for the extensive search for witnesses (who were then treated like…

Laudator.in

Alvar Freude

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”.

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