Dutch privacy watchdog warns against Israeli terms for aid organisations

The Dutch data protection authority has called upon the government of the Netherlands to condemn new Israeli privacy requirements for aid organisations wanting to work in Palestinian territories, claiming they breach the EU’s data protection rules.

In a statement published on Wednesday, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) said that as of September the Israeli government demands that all organisations providing aid must complete a comprehensive registration which includes providing personal data about employees, their parents and children.

The AP was asked to look into the issue by an unnamed aid group. 

“The aid organisations must also provide names of donors, including 'background information' about those people and the exact amounts they have donated to the aid organisation. What exactly falls under background information is unclear,” the AP said, adding that this information will likely be used for screening and profiling.

The privacy watchdog has now called upon the Dutch government to formally protest against this.

“On the basis of the available information, the AP concludes that that aid organisation does not have a valid reason to supply the requested personal data to Israel. It would also not be clear to the aid organisation what happens to the personal data after the organisation has delivered it to Israel,” the statement said.

The AP said this would present organisations with the dilemma of choosing whether to defend the rights of their employees or continuing to do their work in Gaza. It asked the Foreign Affairs Ministry to discuss the issue with the European Commission as the registration could also affect other European aid organisations.

In addition, the AP will discuss with its European counterparts how this relates to the data transfer agreement – or adequacy decision – that the European Commission has with Israel. That deal states that the protection of personal data in Israel is of the same level as in the European Union. 

It contacted the Israeli privacy regulator to speak out against the obligations too.