Big Brother Awards 2009

The Big Brother Award – a prize awarded to private companies and individuals who have “excelled” in the violation of our privacy – has got at its eleventh edition this year. Last year it was held in 9 different countries, while the 2009 edition seems to take place only in 5 countries, Italy included (thanks to the Winston Smith Project).

Government agencies and private companies are increasingly violating the privacy of people everywhere. Enormous amounts of personal data are being collected, stored and processed – often illegally – in the pursuit of more efficient marketing, greater social control, and more powerful mechanisms for monitoring of the citizen.

Fighting crime by committing one appears to be the future solution for law enforcement agencies in the information society of the 21 century. But – who watches the watchmen?

Every year Privacy International and a growing number of affiliate human rights groups present the Big Brother Awards to government agencies, private companies and individuals who have excelled in the violation of our privacy.

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