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German Journalist Prize for Databroker Files: “Great investigative piece with high social relevance”
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Ingo Dachwitz and Sebastian Meineck were honored with the German Journalist Prize for their Databroker research. The jury praised the article as a “showpiece for data-driven journalism”.
Our colleagues Ingo Dachwitz and Sebastian Meineck were contacted on September 24, 2026 for their data broker files researchhttps://www.djp.de/">GermansJournalist Prizein the field of IT & Communication honored.
Her text “, which appeared on netzpolitik.org in November 2025,” was honored.https://netzpolitik.org/2025/databroker-files-datenhaendler-verkaufen-me...Traders sell meter-precise location data of EU personnel". The article is part of the research series "https://netzpolitik.org/databroker-files/">DatabrokerFiles" and was created in cooperation with Bayerischer Rundfunk. The team there includes Katharina Brunner, Rebecca Ciesielski and Maximilian Zierer. International research partners werehttps://multimedia.lecho.be/telephone-localization/">L'Echofrom Belgium,https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2025/11/04/comment-des-donnees-pub...Moonsfrom France andhttps://www.bnr.nl/nieuws/tech-innovatie/10586881/locatiegegevens-eu-fun...from the Netherlands.
Inconvenient truths
The excellent article shows how high-ranking EU personnel can be spied on using commercial location data that is supposedly collected only for advertising purposes. He thus illustrates the dangers of data trading and the failure of European data protection.
The jury praised the text as “a great investigative piece with high social relevance and at the same time a showpiece for data-driven journalism.” The laudatory speech was given by Carsten Knop, co-editor of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”.
“The research challenges Europe to come to terms with a few uncomfortable truths,” said Ingo Dachwitz in his acceptance speech. It is not just Big Tech companies from the USA that have set up a large surveillance apparatus for advertising purposes, but also a huge network of companies from Europe. At the same time, the gold standard of European data protection, which is often held so highly, is failing across the board.
Dachwitz continued that he hoped the prize would help to lead a debate about the necessary consequences. “Instead of working on a solution to the problem, European governments are currently violating data protection and protecting security authorities that are helping themselves to illegal data that endangers Europe’s security.” Media that are involved in the online advertising system also need to be honest about the problems that come with it.
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The German Journalist Prize
Since 2007, the German Journalist Prize has honored outstanding editorial texts in German-language print and online media on economic and financial topics.
This year, a total of 582 articles were submitted from 100 print and online media in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg. More than 100 jurors from media, business and science selected the prize winners in a multi-stage, anonymous jury process. Prizes are awarded for the subject areas of education & Work, Finance & Capital, Innovation & Sustainability, IT & Communication, mobility & Logistics, transformation and global economy.
Since 2007, around 8,300 articles have been submitted and evaluated for the German Journalist Prize. There are 545 entries nominated and awarded by the juryhttps://www.djp.de/">djp.dedocumented. That's where you'll find it toohttps://www.djp.de/preisverleihung">Recordingthis year's awards ceremonyandhttps://www.djp.de/preistraeger#preistraeger">Informationabout the other award winners.
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The work of netzpolitik.org is financed by donations from our readers.
Become part of this unique community and support our public interest-oriented, advertising- and tracking-free journalismhttps://netzpolitik.org/spenden/?via=rss">nowwith a donation.
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Source: de.indymedia