The great and the good, when it comes to privacy invasion, have
been "honoured" for their efforts to mess up life for the rest on us online.
Privacy International has shortlisted the UK government agencies, civil servants,
companies and initiatives which have done most to invade personal privacy for its fourth
annual "Big Brother" awards.
Sir Richard Wilson, the Cabinet Secretary, earns a nomination as worst civil servant
for
his long standing commitment to opposing freedom of information, data protection and
ministerial accountability. He's also up for a "lifetime menace award".
Home Secretary David Blunkett, for his patronage of the proposed national ID card and
Michael Cashman MEP, for his opposition in the European Parliament to controls over email
spam, are also up for consideration as worst public servant.
In the companies category The Countryside Alliance, for holding data on (among many other
categories) sexual, political, religious, health, intelligence and lifestyle information
on a vast range of individuals, is also up for a gong. The Internet Watch Foundation and
Norwich Union, for using unapproved genetic tests for potentially fatal diseases when
assessing whether to offer life cover, are also in the running.
Among the projects attracting the opprobrium of Privacy International is The National
Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), for its proposal to archive and warehouse all email,
internet and telephone call traffic records. Brickbats were also thrown at the Electoral
Reform Society for the way it plans to introduce electronic voting which provides
woefully
scant assessment of the substantial privacy and security threats, according to
Privacy International.
The Department of Education and Skills, for creating a student tracking system, The
Internet Watch Foundation and (naturally) the Home Office are nominated in the most
heinous government organisation category.
The awards will be judged by a panel of experts, comprising lawyers, academics,
consultants, journalists and civil rights activists prior to an awards ceremony at the
London School of Economics on March 4. For
further details