Bulgaria’s parliament and an educational institute named top privacy violators in ‘Big Brother Awards’ · Global Voices
<PERSON>, Head of the Legal Team of NGO Access to Information Programme speaking at Bulgarian Big Brother Award in Sofia, 3 Feb 2019. Photo: <PERSON> / Internet Society – Bulgaria, CC-BY.
After a six-year hiatus, leading Bulgarian digital rights organizations have revived their country's version of the Big Brother Awards, an “anti-awards” ceremony designed to shame those who violate people's rights to privacy and data protection.
Originated by the international human rights organization Privacy International in 1998, the Big Brother Awards have been adopted by multiple civic society organizations in Europe and beyond. The event is intended to increase awareness about serious issues related to misuse of personal data and the harms that this can bring to individuals and society at large.
At a February 3, 2019 ceremony in Sofia, the 2018 awardees were announced: Bulgaria's parliament and Center for Education and Qualification of Pedagogical Specialists Ltd., a well-known educational institute, were the big winners.
Internet Society-Bulgaria (ISOC-Bulgaria) and Access to Information Program in Bulgaria issued a call for nominations of either governmental bodies, companies or individuals that have violated citizens’ privacy and abused personal data. Members of the public were able to submit suggestions up until the January 24 deadline.
“Our goal is to show the public the problems, and raise awareness about them”, said a representative of Internet Society of Bulgaria.
With companies and private institutions collecting, storing and processing enormous amounts of personal data (often illegally) in the pursuit of more efficient marketing and greater social control, the event committee received many nominations. ISOC-Bulgaria solicited suggestions from the public, inviting anyone to submit nominations via blog comments (which could be posted anonymously) or Facebook. 363
These were evaluated by a jury of unpaid well-known public figures, including lawyers, academics, consultants, journalists, and civil right activists.
The jury subsequently presented two awards: one to the state institution and the other to the private organization that had excelled at violating citizens’ privacy.
The National Assembly (parliament) building of Bulgaria. Public Domain photo via Wikipedia.
Competition was stiff, with government institutions like the National Security Agency, the State Prosecutors Office, and the Anti-Corruption Commission being nominated, but eventually, the 2018 Big Brother Award for a state organization went to the National Assembly of Bulgaria, for its adoption of a personal data law.
In addition to setting new standards intended to protect citizens’ data against misuse by companies and institutions, the law sets specific rules for journalists and their reporting, when it touches upon the lives and activities of individuals. The law sets limitations around the impact that disclosing data will have on the personal life of the subject, the circumstances in which personal data becomes known to a journalist, and the importance of the personal data or its public disclosure to the public interest.
All of these stipulations, when subject to interpretation by media outlets and courts alike, could result in a threat to media freedom, especially when it comes to reporting on the activities of public officials.
Jury member and media expert <PERSON> explained further:
Самите критерии са добри. Те наистина помагат на защитата и са по посока на тази чувствителност, която нараства. Въпросът е, че те могат да имат страничен ефект, да нарушат едно друго право – правото на свободно изразяване и на свобода на словото. 463