The Louis D. Brandeis Privacy Award
Sometimes called the “Nobel Prize of privacy,” the Brandeis Award honors individuals who have advanced the cause of privacy rights. Named after Justice Louis D. Brandeis—the first Supreme Court Justice to articulate a constitutional right to privacy—and formally endorsed by his descendants.
Recipients are recognized for “extending and strengthening the enduring legacy of Justice Brandeis through leadership, advocacy, and impact.”
Award Recipients
Leaders from academia, government, and civil society recognized for their outstanding contributions to privacy rights worldwide.
Professor Nikolaus Forgó
Leibniz Universität Hannover
Research focused on medical privacy, intellectual property, and data security through 22 European and 25 national research projects.
Professor Joe Cannataci
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy
Head of Department of Information Policy & Governance at University of Malta. Holds the European Information Policy chair at University of Groningen. Decorated by France as Officier dans l’ordre des palmes académiques.
Alex "Sandy" Pentland
MIT
Created and directed the MIT Media Lab and Media Lab Asia. Chairs the World Economic Forum’s Data Driven Development council. Forbes named him among the "seven most powerful data scientists" in the world.
Dr. Masao Horibe
Japan
First Chairman of the Specific Personal Information Protection Commission. Researched privacy and data protection for over 50 years. Widely known as "Mr. Privacy" or "Dr. Privacy."
Latanya Sweeney, PhD
Harvard University Data Privacy Lab
Director of the Harvard University Data Privacy Lab. Groundbreaking research on reidentification risk whose results improved privacy laws worldwide.
Peter Schaar
European Academy for Freedom of Information and Data Protection
Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information from 2003 to 2013.
Peter J. Hustinx
European Data Protection Supervisor
Served as European Data Protection Supervisor since 2004. Former President of the Dutch Data Protection Authority.
Mark A. Rothstein, JD
University of Louisville
Herbert F. Boehl Chair of Law and Medicine. Chaired the Subcommittee on Privacy and Confidentiality for the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS).
The Honorable Joe Barton
U.S. Representative
Founding co-chairman of the Congressional Privacy Caucus. Instrumental in passing the HITECH Act.
The Honorable Ed Markey
U.S. Senator
20-year chair of the Telecommunications subcommittee. Authored the TRUST Act for health privacy.
Ross Anderson, PhD
University of Cambridge
Professor of Security Engineering. Authored the influential "DataBase State" report.
Alan F. Westin, PhD
Columbia University, Professor Emeritus
Leading authority on consumer privacy surveys. Conducted over 60 national privacy surveys.
The Louis D. Brandeis Privacy Award was inaugurated on June 6, 2012, at the 2nd International Summit on the Future of Health Privacy in Washington, D.C.
Learn more about the Summit
The Brandeis Award was presented at the International Summit on the Future of Health Privacy from 2012 to 2017.