The Big Brother Awards are organized every year by Bits of Freedom. With this award we draw attention to people, companies and governments who have committed serious infringements on the privacy and freedom of citizens.

About the Big Brother Awards

The Big Brother Awards takes its name from the totalitarian leader Big Brother from the book 1984 by George Orwell. The first Big Brother Awards were organized by Privacy International, and have since been presented in many other countries. We are responsible for the Dutch edition. Over the years, the event has grown into a lively evening program with (acceptance) speeches, debate and art.

The public nominates candidates for the Public Award and decides who will be the biggest privacy violator of the year. A professional jury presents the Expert Award. But we also pay attention to positive developments. We present the Felipe Rodriguez Award to an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to protecting our rights. Felipe Rodriguez was one of the founders of XS4ALL and De Digitale Stad and founder of the digital civil rights movement in the Netherlands. We hope his example inspires others.