Hi all,
Greetings from the Taiwan Associaiton for Human Rights and hope all is fine
with you!
Thanks to Robert Guerra and Al for this piece of information.
Haven't checked out PI's website for a while. Good to know about the
nomination because we NGOs in Taiwan are having great headaches fighthing
against increasing national government initiatives applying ICTs that highly
threaten human rights. The establishment of national fingerprint database
just abruptly revived, forcing us to take actions in a desperately short
time.
Wrote to PI to ask about the nominations and if there'll be more options
like Big Brother Award for us to nominate the Taiwan government. Would like
to announce this at the protest site before the public hearing on national
fingerprint database dispute here tomorrow :-)
Serena
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alan G. Alegre" <alalegre@fma.ph>
To: "wsis-asia" <communication@wsisasia.org>; "Asia-IR List"
<asia-ir@list.jinbo.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 3:24 PM
Subject: [communication 604] Fw: [wsis-prep1] Privacy International seeks
entries in "stupid security"contest
> (Thanks Robert Guerra)
>
> > >
> > >PRIVACY INTERNATIONAL
> > >
> > >ONE WEEK LEFT TO HELP FIND THE WORLD'S MOST STUPID SECURITY MEASURE
> > >
> > >Global competition will identify absurd and pointless security
> requirements
> > >http://www.privacyinternational.org/activities/stupidsecurity/
> > >
> > >11th February 2003
> > >
> > >Embargo: Immediate release
> > >The human rights watchdog Privacy International has launched a
> > >competition to discover the world's most pointless, intrusive,
> > >annoying and self-serving security measures.
> > >
> > >The "Stupid Security" award aims to highlight the absurdities of the
> > >security industry. Privacy International's director, Simon Davies,
> > >said his group had taken the initiative because of "innumerable"
> > >security initiatives around the world that had absolutely no genuine
> > >security benefit.
> > >
> > >"The situation has become ridiculous" said Mr Davies. "Security has
> > >become the smokescreen for incompetent and robotic managers the
> > >world over".
> > >
> > >"I have stood for ages in a security line at an inconsequential
> > >office building and grilled relentlessly only to be given a security
> > >pass that a high school student could have faked. And I resent being
> > >forced to take off my shoes at an airport that can't even screen its
> > >luggage" he said.
> > >
> > >Even before 9/11 a whole army of bumbling amateurs has taken it upon
> > >themselves to figure out pointless, annoying, intrusive, illusory
> > >and just plain stupid measures to "protect" our security.
> > >
> > >It has become a global menace. From the nightclub in Berlin that
> > >demands the home address of its patrons, to the phone company in
> > >Britain that won't let anyone pay more than twenty pounds a month
> > >from a bank account, the world has become infested with bumptious
> > >administrators competing to hinder or harass us. And often for no
> > >good reason whatever.
> > >
> > >Unworkable security laws and illusory security measures do nothing
> > >to help issues of real public concern. They only hinder the public
> > >and intrude unnecessary into our private lives.
> > >
> > >Until March 15th 2003 Privacy International is calling for
> > >nominations to name and shame the worst offenders. Nominations in
> > >the form of stories and anecdotes are most welcome.
> > >
> > >The competition will be judged by a panel of well-known security
> > >experts, public policy specialists, privacy advocates and
> > >journalists.
> > >The competition is open to anyone. Nominations can be sent to
> > >stupidsecurity@privacy.org Winners will be announced at the 13th
> > >Computers, Freedom & Privacy conference in New York on April 4th.
> > >
> > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > >
> > >NOTES TO EDITORS
> > >
> > >- Privacy International (PI) is a human rights group formed in 1990
> > >as a watchdog on surveillance by governments and corporations. PI is
> > >based in London, and has an office in Washington, D.C. Together
> > >with members in 40 countries, PI has conducted campaigns throughout
> > >the world on issues ranging from wiretapping and national security
> > >activities, to ID cards, video surveillance, data matching, police
> > >information systems, and medical privacy, and works with a wide
> > >range of parliamentary and inter-governmental organisations such as
> > >the European Parliament, the House of Lords and UNESCO.
> > >
> > >- PI's website is www.privacyinternational.org The award page can be
> > >found at:
> > >http://www.privacyinternational.org/activities/stupidsecurity/
> > >
> > >- The competition will be judged by a panel of well-known security
> > >experts, public policy specialists, privacy advocates and
> > >journalists. Details are on the PI competition page above.
> > >
> > >- Simon Davies can be reached at simon@privacy.org and in the UK on
> > >07958 466 552
> > >
> >
>
>
>