The Netherlands Trade Union Confederation (FNV) announced on July 17, 2018 that it will be joining the court case that the PILP, together with a coalition of civil society organizations, initiated against risk profiling through SyRI.

Citizens provide governments with a lot of information about themselves. For example, when they apply for a permit or for an unemployment benefit, when they report their tax returns, or when they get married. The ‘System Risk Indication’ (SyRI) enables the government to use the information they receive for purposes other than that for which it was provided.

Gathering and exchanging personal data that has not specifically been provided for, and the use of big data analytics, hold the potential to breach the right to respect for private life and other related human rights.

That is why a coalition of civil society organizations (the NCJM, Privacy First, KDVP, Platform Bescherming Burgerrechten and the Landelijke Cliëntenraad) and two authors (Tommy Wieringa and Maxim Februari) have started a court case against the Dutch State on March 27. The FNV has now joined this court case.

The case lawyers are Anton Ekker and Douwe Linders from the Deikwijs office.

Read more about SyRI and the court case here.