31 Dec 2007

Leading surveillance societies in the EU and the World 2007

The 2007 International Privacy Ranking

Leading surveillance societies in the EU and the World 2007

NETHERLANDS
  • Constitutional protection in Article 10, Article 12, and 13; moves to change the constitution to be more technology neutral were postponed
  • Comprehensive privacy law and sectoral protections
  • Data Privacy Authority can apply administrative measures and impose fines; and posts advisories to government on new legislation; extensive work in the area of medical records in 2007
  • Growth of corporate privacy officers across the country
  • Court order required for interception, except for the intelligence services who are authorised by the Minister of Interior; controversies and court cases over the burden to industry
  • Access to traffic data by order of the public prosecutor, but for serious offences (where punishment is imprisonment for four years or more); though subscriber data can be accessed by police in case of mere suspicion. Parliament rejected proposal to notify suspects after subscriber data has been accessed.
  • In 2007 government moved to implement data retention directive with 18 months period, despite concerns from Authority
  • Continued proposals to increase power of law enforcement agencies
  • Plans to implement in 2008 a database of all children to record development from birth
  • New plans for expanded use of biometrics
  • DNA collected on all convicted of serious crimes
  • Compulsory identification for all persons from age of 14, where 5300 individuals are fined every month for not carrying ID
  • Passport includes fingerprints and facial images, and government proposed in 2005 that a centralised register be created
  • Law from 2003 makes it unlawful to use hidden cameras in public places without notification; cameras can otherwise keep images for 4 weeks for the purpose of keeping public order
  • Courts have ruled that subscriber data can be disclosed to copyright industry, and anonymous website owners
  • Ratified Cybercrime convention

Leading surveillance societies in the EU and the World 2007