An annual event in seventeen countries, Privacy International's Big Brother Awards were awarded last night to the people and organisations that have done the most to devastate privacy & civil liberties in the UK.
UK Government officials Charles Clarke and Margaret Hodge received particular mention along with the unusual step of an award for the US for their "almost total silence" for the scheme of finger-printing foreign visitors to the States even for British nationals.
Privacy International are a London based civil rights group and for the past 14 years have raised awareness around the world about privacy threats ranging from military surveillance to workplace drug testing.
Since their inception in 1998, Big Brother Awards are now held as an annual event in countries such as Japan, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, New Zealand and Australia.
The gold awards – in the shape of a boot stamping on a human head – drew their inspiration from George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four".
And the winners are:
WORST PUBLIC SERVANT
Winner: The Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Minister of State for Children
"Margaret Hodge has received numerous nominations because of her patronage of the controversial tracking provisions in the Children Bill and for her determination to develop a wide spectrum of intrusive databases and information systems. Her success in reaching the shortlist reflects the judges concern stemming from their decision in 2002 to give the Department for Education & Skills the "Most Heinous Government Organisation" award for its invasive activities."
Runner-up:. Katherine Courtney, Director, Identity Cards Programme, Home Office, and Stephen Harrison, Head, Identity Card Policy Unit, Home Office
MOST INVASIVE COMPANY
Winner: British Gas
"For its unfounded and cowardly claim that the Data Protection Act was the reason why an elderly couple died after British Gas had disconnected their gas supply. The hypothermia and absence of any duty of care apparently were secondary factors."
Runner-up: Lloyds TSB, FollowUS
MOST APPALLING PROJECT
Winner: The NHS National Programme for IT
"The NHS won a "Most Heinous Government Organisation" award in 2000 because of its plans to computerise all patient records in a way that is both insecure and dangerous to patient privacy. Its nomination again this year reflects the gravity of concerns over these continuing plans."
Runner-up: Vodafone, The Safe Harbor Agreement
MOST HEINOUS GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION
Winner: The Office of National Statistics.
"For its development of the "Citizen Information Project" that will collate and share unprecedented amounts of data on the entire population."
Runner-up: The Department for Transport
LIFETIME MENACE
Winner: The US VISIT Programme
"Privacy International took nusual step of shortlisting a US initiative for the UK awards because of the almost total silence in the US over this programme. US VISIT will fingerprint all visitors to the US from September of this year. The scheme is offensive and invasive, and has been undertaken with little or no debate or scrutiny. Nor has the requirement taken any account of the "special relationship" between the UK and the US. The UK government has been silent about the programme and has capitulated every step of the way."
Runner-up: The Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP.
Further information including links to news articles which provide an insight into all the awards can be found on the Privacy International website.