Czech Big Brother Awards 2009

This article is also available in:
Deutsch: [Tschechische Big Brother Awards 2009| http://www.unwatched.org/node/1612]

The results of the fifth annual Big Brother Awards were announced at a
festive evening in Prague’s Theatre Na Pradle on 12 November 2009. A jury of
experts chose from almost 80 nominations entered by the public.

Among those awarded are the Czech Ministry of Schools, Youth and Sports for
gathering information about pupils and students, Nokia company for its
efforts to legalize snooping in its employees’ email communication, the
social networking site Facebook for its inconsistent approach to user
privacy protection, the Czech Ministry of Health, the State Institute for
Drug Control and National Health Registries, or the French “HADOPI law”,
nicknamed the “electronic guillotine”.

The “Statement of the year” went to the General Manager of the state-owned
lottery operator Sazka, for demanding that slot-machines be equipped with ID
scanners. He thinks this would prevent people who receive social benefits
from gambling. “It is a question of a greater control or an increase in
gambling,” says Mr. Ales Husak. The positive prize was awarded to the
citizens of Iran for boycotting telephones manufactured by Nokia Siemens,
because a telecommunication surveillance system was sold by this company to
the Government of Iran.

The first ceremony in the Czech Republic took place in 2005. Similarly to
previous years there are eight categories – Longterm Violation of Human
Privacy (for companies and public organizations), Biggest Corporate Snoop
(for companies), Biggest Government Agency Snoop (for government
organizations), Dangerous New Technology, Big Brother Law, Snoop Among
Nations, Statement of a Big Brother and finally the positive award for
Achievements in Protecting Privacy. The Czech Awards are held by the
EDRi-member Iuridicum Remedium.

Big Brother Awards 2009 (only in Czech)
http://www.bigbrotherawards.cz/

Czech Big Brother awards press release in English (12.11.2009)
http://www.edri.org/files/Czech_BBA09_EN.pdf

(Contribution by Katerina Hlatka – EDRi-member IURE)