10 Dutch Municipalities Fined for Secretly Conducting Research on Muslim Communities

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Joe Gratz)

JAKARTA - The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has fined ten municipalities in the country a total of 250,000 euros for violating privacy laws by conducting research on Muslim communities without their knowledge, according to a report by the NOS television station.

The fact that the municipality had secretly ordered a study and processed a file containing sensitive information about Muslim residents was revealed in 2021.

Although the municipality is not authorized to store this information, some reports are also reportedly shared with the police, the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV), and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

"The municipality has no basis for having this information. The privacy of the affected people has been seriously violated. This has undermined trust in many municipalities," said AP Chairman Aleid Wolfsen, launching Anadolu (6/2).

At the suggestion of NCTV, several municipalities hired external agencies to collect various levels of sensitive information about the local Muslim community, including mosque structures and key figures, AP also noted.

It is known that the cities that will be fined include Delft, Ede, Eindhoven, Haarlemmermeer, Hilversum, Huizen, Gooise Meren, Tilburg, Veenendaal and Zoetermeer.