- The categories for which entries may be submitted are: Ángela Ruiz Robles’ Entrepreneurship; Initiatives for the protection of women against digital violence; Good practices for complying with the regulations; Communication; Good educational practices for the responsible and safe use of the Internet by minors; “Emilio Aced” Research and Dissemination of data protection in social networks.
- These awards recognise the commitment of both individuals and joint projects, and of public bodies and companies.
- The deadline for submitting nominations is 15 October.
The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has announced the ‘Personal Data Protection Awards 2024’, which include the following categories: Entrepreneurship in personal data protection ‘Ángela Ruiz Robles’; Initiatives and good practices for the protection of women against digital violence; Proactivity and good practices in compliance with the RGPD and the LOPDGDD; Communication; Good Educational Practices and Personal Data Protection for a responsible and safe use of the Internet by minors; Research in personal data protection ‘Emilio Aced’ and Dissemination of the fundamental right to data protection in social networks.
With these seven categories, the Agency wishes to recognise the work carried out to disseminate this fundamental right in areas such as education, business, scientific-technical research, social networks, that carried out by Public Administrations, the media, as well as the good practices of public and private entities for the protection of women against digital violence. The deadline for submitting nominations is 15 October.
The ‘Ángela Ruiz Robles’ Award for Entrepreneurship in Personal Data Protection, endowed with 3,000 euros, aims to reward the development of an original, creative and innovative business activity, product or service with a social impact in relation to data protection and the guarantee of the rights and freedoms of individuals. The jury may also propose the awarding of a runner-up prize of 1,500 euros.
In this edition, priority has been given, among others, to those activities relating to the application of the proactive responsibility established in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the management of risks when using disruptive technologies; dealing with special categories of data; processing considered high-risk or affecting a significant part of society or vulnerable groups such as minors, persons with disabilities or persons in situations of gender violence or harassment.
The Award for Initiatives and Good Practices for the Protection of Women against Digital Violence is aimed at recognising an activity, product or service in the public or private sphere that is characterised by originality, creativity, innovation and social impact in relation to data protection and the guarantee of the rights and freedoms of individuals against gender-based digital violence.
Activities, products or services aimed at raising awareness and preventing different forms of digital gender-based violence, such as apps, guides, tools or materials developed by public or private entities, will be considered of greatest interest.
The prize will consist of a financial award of 3,000 euros (1,500 for the runner-up prize) if the winning project corresponds to an individual or private entity. In the event that the winning candidature or runner-up is a public entity, an honourable mention will be awarded.
The Data Protection Communication Award, which includes an endowment of 3,000 euros for the prize and 1,500 euros for the runner-up prize, is aimed at recognising journalistic work in the media that makes an outstanding contribution to the dissemination and promotion of the principles of data protection among citizens and/or fosters awareness among those who handle personal information.
Individual works published in a media outlet – such as an editorial, news item, report, radio or television programme – or journalistic projects and audiovisual campaigns that define an editorial commitment to the promotion of data protection are eligible. Nominations may be submitted either by journalists (for their work published in a media outlet) or by the media outlet, including blogs integrated in them, as an overall campaign. The works and actions submitted must have been disseminated between 16 October 2023 and 15 October 2024.
In this edition, priority will be given to those works that have contributed to disseminating data protection to a greater extent from a social perspective, and especially to fostering the effective protection of children and adolescents in their use of the Internet and its services, promoting both the awareness of families and of the different public and private actors that can contribute with their actions to this protection, as well as the dissemination of the proposals, tools and materials launched by the Agency in this regard.
The Award for Good Educational Practices in Privacy and Data Protection for responsible and safe use of the Internet by minors is aimed at rewarding good practices that promote knowledge of the fundamental right to data protection among students in Primary Education, Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and educational centres that provide regulated non-university education and whose projects are aimed at underage students, and which contribute to raising awareness among students of the value of privacy and the responsible use of the personal information they share on the Internet, both their own and that of third parties.
The award – which is open to projects, promotional and awareness-raising actions, workshops and dissemination materials, among others – is awarded in two categories:
- Good practices and projects carried out by public, state-subsidised and private educational centres in Primary, Secondary, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Educational Centres that provide regulated non-university education and whose projects are aimed at under-age students during the 2023-2024 academic year. The prize includes a financial award of 3,000 euros.
- Commitment of individuals, institutions, organisations and associations, public or private, that have distinguished themselves in an outstanding manner in the promotion and dissemination of the safe use of the Internet among minors. This award is honorary.
The Award for proactivity and good practices in compliance with the RGPD and the LOPDGDD recognises the actions carried out to comply with the RGPD and the Organic Law on Personal Data Protection and guarantee of digital rights (LOPDGDD) that contribute to reinforcing the guarantees of the right to data protection. Consideration will be given to proposals that present a particular difficulty in complying with the regulations because they include high-risk data processing. The prize, which consists of an honourable mention, is awarded in two modalities:
- Best practices implemented by private sector companies, associations and foundations.
- Best practices of public sector institutions, entities, organisations, bodies and departments.
The ‘Emilio Aced’ Award for Research into personal data protection, which includes a prize of 3,000 euros and a runner-up prize of 1,500 euros, recognises works and projects carried out in the context of scientific-technical research in which the application of the principles of data protection is studied, analysed or developed in a practical manner.
Special consideration will be given to work relating to the application of the proactive responsibility established in the GDPR and risk management in disruptive technologies, those dealing with special categories of data, high-risk processing or those affecting a significant part of society or groups most exposed to situations of gender-based violence or other situations of harassment.
Finally, the Award for the dissemination of the fundamental right to data protection on social networks, the second edition of which is being held this year with a prize of 3,000 euros and a runner-up prize of 1,500 euros, will recognise those profiles on social networks that have been characterised by a firm commitment to the promotion and dissemination of the right to data protection. Priority will be given to those that have contributed to disseminating data protection to a greater extent from a social perspective, both among citizens and among those who process data, as well as those that have published content related to the effective protection of children and adolescents in their use of the Internet.