Domains, the Openbaar Ministerie (OM) and the police should make agreements on the responsibility for and handling of stored data in seized objects. National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen is calling for this in response to a complaint.
Van Zutphen: "More and more objects and vehicles are storing data. That will only increase in the future. The government is not clear about how to deal with that data in case of seizure. That must change quickly to prevent someone's data from simply ending up with someone else."
Domains in practice often stores seized property. The prosecution is responsible for what happens to an item. The police are often the ones who seize something. Thus, these three agencies are connected to each other in the seizure process. Therefore, the National Ombudsman expects them to take responsibility as a whole and take appropriate measures in consultation with each other about how to handle and take responsibility for data-bearing objects. The Ombudsman also wants agencies to make clear agreements about how they inform citizens about this and what citizens themselves can do to protect their data. He sees the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens as an important interlocutor for the agencies involved.
The National Ombudsman wants this issue to be well regulated for citizens, which is why he will continue to monitor this issue closely in 2021.
Report: An investigation into a complaint about Domains Real Estate
