, SecurityFocus 2001-03-07
FBI, Tampa Bay, honored in 2001 Big Brother Awards
Privacy International, a London-based non-profit advocacy group, hands out their U.S. awards each year to "honor the villains of privacy," as David Banisar, the organization's U.S. director, described it during an irreverent awards ceremony held at the eleventh annual Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference (CFP).
Banisar awarded Tampa Bay the 'Worst Government Official or Agency' award, for the cutting-edge facial identification technology used at the turnstiles of this year's Super Bowl. 'Greatest Corporate Invader' went to ChoicePoint, a data collection firm that earned criticism for misidentifying some legal voters in Florida as ineligible convicted felons. The National Security Agency won a "Lifetime Menace Award" for being the National Security Agency.
"If you're not on this year's awards list, don't feel bad. There were just so many candidates," quipped Banisar from the stage.
The awards are gold-colored statuettes depicting a human head being crushed under a jackboot. Costumed volunteers symbolically accepted each award, and delivered a brief monologue.
The Carnivore award was accepted by 'McGruff, the Carnivore dog' -- an unidentified volunteer dressed in a full sized Saint Bernard costume.
"I'm here to take a bite out of privacy," said 'MacGruff.' He went on to advise imaginary children in the audience, "If you hear your parents say the word 'privacy,' call 1-800-CARNIVORE."
Last month, following months of controversy over its Internet surveillance tool, the FBI officially changed Carnivore's name to 'DCS1000.'
Privacy International also gave out two serious, pro-privacy Brandeis Awards, named for the Supreme Court Justice who once wrote that privacy is "the right to be left alone."
One Brandeis went to Julie Brill, with the Vermont Attorney General's office. The second award was to Evan Hendricks, editor of the
"We have to recognize privacy as a human right," said Hendricks. "So it's protected under law."
The Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference continues here through Friday.
