In June, the Senate voted on whether or not to enact the WGS Data Sharing Act. This new law enables the government to exchange and analyze data more easily. The government cites combating social problems and crime as the reason for introducing this law, but privacy experts have raised significant concerns. They fear that this law will not benefit the privacy of “ordinary citizens.” But why is that? We’ll explain it to you in this article!
Why are experts concerned about the WGS?
If the Data Processing and Partnerships Act takes effect on March 1, 2025, the government will suddenly have a great deal of leeway to collect and analyze vast amounts of data on citizens. According to the investigative platform Follow the Money, this comes dangerously close to the limits set by the Constitution regarding privacy. Experts in data privacy have long been concerned about the privacy of the population and the government’s ever-increasing control over it. Consider, for example, the Digital ID, CBDC, and the idea of a European Medical Record.
What exactly does the WGS entail?
The idea behind this new bill is for government agencies to collaborate on data matters. In the Netherlands, this involves municipalities, the police, the Public Prosecution Service, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), and the Tax and Customs Administration, as well as various banks and other financial institutions. These organizations will exchange data with one another regarding specific cases. This has already been happening in some situations since 2008, but until now there was no legal basis for it. Starting in March 2025, however, there will be. Since the bill was sent to the Senate last June, it has undergone significant revisions. As a result, the law now imposes strict conditions on the sharing of information within four collaborative frameworks in healthcare, the justice system, and public administration. If your data is shared among these organizations, you will be notified, but you cannot prevent it!
What are some potential negative consequences of the WGS?
Experts are, of course, still concerned about the consequences of the new legislation, and with good reason. There was significant opposition from, among others, the FNV trade union and the National Clients’ Council, which represents people receiving benefits. They fear that the new law could lead to new “benefit scandals.” Data can result in an inaccurate profile of a citizen. Furthermore, the person whose information is being shared has no opportunity to defend themselves or provide an explanation. This can lead to misinterpretation of data and, consequently, to unjustified conclusions. The Dutch Data Protection Authority was also unhappy with the bill, partly for this reason. Nevertheless, the law was passed by the Senate in June, and it is now known that it will take effect on March 1, 2025.