Maximilian Zierer

Maximilian Zierer was selected for the 2025 Shortlist with Under Surveillance. How Location Data Jeopardizes German Security

Maximilian Zierer is a data journalist and investigative reporter at Bayerischer Rundfunk, working in the BR Recherche/BR Data editorial team. For BR, he covers the darker sides of technology across radio, television, and online platforms. His reporting topics include the US biometrics program in Afghanistan, state-sponsored hacker attacks, credit scoring algorithms, and data trading. His work has been recognized with several awards, including the Civis Media Prize, the German Business Film Award, and the Helmut Schmidt Journalism Prize.

Sebastian Meineck

Sebastian Meineck was selected for the 2025 Shortlist with Under Surveillance. How Location Data Jeopardizes German Security

Sebastian Meineck has been working as a tech journalist since 2015 and is an editor at netzpolitik.org, a media outlet for digital civil rights. He writes an online research newsletter and conducts OSINT seminars. For his investigations, he has been awarded the Grimme Online Award twice.