Deadline Approaching for 2017 Human Rights Awards

Don't forget: we need your nominations for the 2017 Heroes & Villains Awards! The deadline is quickly approaching.

Take a quick break to tell us who is valiantly defending internet freedom for your community, and who is plotting to undermine your human rights online.

For more info, see this blog post and our original email below.

Do you know a digital rights superhero? Or Is there some devious villain undermining privacy and free expression in your country? For our fourth annual Heroes & Villains of Human Rights Awards, we want to hear from you!

This year we will honor 5 heroes who embody the Necessary and Proportionate Principles*, and shame 5 villains who are evading them. Our heroes will be invited to join us at RightsCon. We hope to provide travel assistance, and we’re working hard to raise the funds necessary.

So, has someone in your country — whether it be an activist, politician, businessperson, technologist, artist, or anyone else — made a special impact on the fight to bring communications surveillance into compliance with human rights standards? Nominate them to be a hero!

Likewise, is there someone who has set that work back significantly in the past year? Tell us why you think they should be named one of 2017’s villains. We'll work together with our friends and partners to draw as much attention as possible to the negative impact these villains are having on our rights around the world.

*What are the Necessary and Proportionate Principles?

Great question! Human rights are universal — including on the internet. However, as the internet reaches more people, governments around the world have developed more ways to find, access, store, and distribute personal information about all of us. To defend our privacy, in 2013 experts identified 13 principles governments must follow to ensure any electronic surveillance program fully respects human rights. They are known as the Necessary and Proportionate Principles.

So nominate your heroes and villains today! The deadline for nominations is September 13, 2017.

More information about the awards is available here.

ENDS

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