May was given the award for not consulting the IT sector prior to pursuing the controversial communications data bill.
“Home Secretary Rt Hon. Theresa May MP won Internet Villain for forging ahead with communications data legislation without fully consulting industry. With an Investigatory Powers Bill due before parliament in the coming months, it is essential that ISPs are consulted,” the ISPA said in a statement on its website on Friday.
The day after UK Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party won the May 7 general election, Theresa May announced plans to introduce a once-defeated contentious surveillance bill.
The bill will authorize tracking of people’s web history, social media interactions and strengthen the security services’ powers for the bulk collection of the content of communications.
The surveillance bill would be passed into law before the end of 2016, according to May.