Winner ECSPDA 28 January 2010: FakeFriends.me

AND THE WINNER IS… PER.SONN.ES (in French) / FAKEFRIENDS.ME (in English)

AEDH (European Association for the Defense of Human rights) and EDRI (European Digital Rights) are pleased to announce that the winner of the first edition of the European Civil Society Data Protection Award (ECSDPA) is “PER.SONN.ES (in French) / FAKEFRIENDS.ME (in English).

Launched in July 2009, Per.sonn.es (in French) / Fakefriends.me (in English), is an art project developed by Philippe Rivière, a French webmaster and journalist, aiming at creating the first fake social network on the internet.

“As an art project, Per.sonn.es/Fakefriends.me offers no specific informational section, and bears no other purpose than leading the average user of search engine to experience some discomfort about the too common practice of casually spying on any- and everyone. One can imagine what happens in the mind of search engine users suddenly confronted to fake information matching their request”, says Philippe Rivière.

The ECSDPA 2010 jury is rewarding Per.sonn.es / Fakefriends.me as an original and positive initiative contributing to the visibility and effectiveness of the right to privacy by raising awareness and helping to build conscious critical thinking.

The ECSDPA winner will benefit from a one week lobbying training in Brussels, travel expenses and lodging being fully covered. The ECSDPA initiative, the first of its kind, has been made possible thanks to the support of The Law Science Technology & Society Research Group of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (LSTS/VUB) and The Flemish-Dutch House deBuren.

AEDH, EDRI, LSTS/VUB and deBuren congratulate the winner Philippe Rivière and thank the 2010 Jury members: Pierre Barge (AEDH), Emilie Barrau (BEUC), Aleksejs Dimitrovs (AEDH), Serge Gutwirth (LSTS/VUB), Paul de Hert (LSTS/VUB), Andreas Krisch (EDRI), Meryem Marzouki (EDRI), Yves Poullet (CRID), Daniel Retureau (EESC).