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LATEST NEWS

2006 Winners announced!

Winners for the fourth annual Australian Big Brother Awards for privacy intruders, affectionately known as ‘The Orwells', were announced by the Australian Privacy Foundation (APF) in January 2007.

The Media Release for the announcement is here.

The details of the Awards are set out in the here.

See also a report in Computerworld.

The rest of this page provides background of the Awards and the nomination and judging process.

See also:

The 2006 Australian Big Brother Awards (a.k.a. 'The Orwells')

The protection of privacy is serious. Respect for people’s personal information and their private space is an essential part of the free, law-abiding and democratic way of life we cherish. But the Orwells allow the Privacy Foundation to show the lighter side of human rights work, while also highlighting the need for more public debate about initiatives which have negative privacy impacts.

About the Big Brother Awards

See the main BBA page for more details about these awards.

(NB: The Australian Big Brother Awards have no relationship to the recent TEN Network TV programme with a similar name.)

The Award Categories

The Big Brother Awards for privacy invaders ('The Orwells')

The categories of privacy abuser for which nominations are sought:
  1. Lifetime Menace – for a privacy invader with a long record of profound disregard for privacy.
  2. Greatest Corporate Invader – for a corporation that has shown a blatant disregard of privacy.
  3. Worst Public Agency or Official – for a government agency or official that has shown a blatant disregard of privacy.
  4. Most Invasive Technology – for a technology that is particularly privacy invasive.
  5. Boot in the Mouth – for the ‘best’ (most appalling!) quote on a privacy-related topic.
  6. People’s Choice – this is decided by popular vote, and given to the individual or organisation most frequently nominated by the public.

The ‘Smith’ Awards for privacy defenders

Nominations are also sought for two awards to be given to champions of privacy, those who have done exemplary work to protect and enhance this elusive right. These will be called ‘the Smiths’ after Orwell's rebellious hero, Winston Smith, who struggled against the nightmarish regime of Big Brother. Their name also recalls Ewart Smith, the man who stopped the Australia Card. And there's more! Their name acknowledges the common use of the name ‘Smith’ as a pseudonym, a practical step towards the right to anonymity acknowledged in privacy principles.
  1. Best Privacy Guardian – for a meritorious act of privacy protection or defence.
  2. Lifetime Achievement – for provision of outstanding services to privacy protection.

PAST YEARS

Previous winners

See the Winners page for links to all paste Winners, and see also a summary on the main BBA page.

BBA around the world

The Privacy International awards are also staged as an annual event in countries. See our main BBA page for details.

Media Contact

Nigel Waters, info@privacy.org.au