OUR DATA, OUR CHOICE!
Ask for your data
You can ask for your data to the municipality, the police, and other public or private authorities.
Why is it important?
Public and private organizations and authorities have been using information from sex workers’ online advertisements to identify “trafficked” people and “illegal prostitution.” Private companies and Dutch municipalities are taking your data. What are they doing with it?
They are creating a list of potential victims of trafficking (You can read more about this here). The result is raids, closing of workplaces, and housing evictions. For migrants, it can be even more dangerous, leading to confiscation of IDs and passports, potential detention, or deportation.
Our data should not be sold or used without our consent.
To stop the practice, we need your help to act.
What can you do?
The first way to correct this wrong is to know that your data is being used without your consent. You can find proof of this by submitting a data subject access request (DSAR).
Public authorities and private companies have a duty to respect your right of access to data. You can consult the information that has been collected about you and ask for its rectification or deletion.
The authorities should be held accountable, stop doing it, and compensate you if their actions impacted you gravely.
You can submit a request to the police and/or to the municipality.
It is necessary to give a copy of your ID to file a request for access to personal data.
It is recommended to give your BSN. If you give them your work alias, they will also be able to search the police system with your alias to identify any information linked to it. But this can be a big ask, we understand that this might feel unsafe.
You do NOT need to mention that you do sex work.Â
What are the risks and benefits?
We cannot guarantee there are no risks. Submitting a data request—especially to the police—can feel intimidating. While public officials are legally prohibited from sharing your request, and the police should not use it to start an investigation, these rules are not always respected.
However, you are not required to identify yourself as a sex worker when making a request, so there is no risk of outing yourself at this stage. If requesting information from the police feels unsafe, you can choose to submit your request only to the municipality where you work.
If you are still concerned about the potential risks, please reach out to us! We are here to guide and support you every step of the way, so you don’t have to do this alone.
The benefits are significant. You’ll learn what information the police and local government hold about you, how it’s used, and who it’s shared with. You can also request corrections or deletion of that data. Knowledge is power—and this is your right.
How do you submit a DSAR?
Each municipality has its own preference for how to submit a DSAR. Often the municipality will have an online portal you can use that is linked to your DigID. However, you can also physically mail or e-mail your request. Please see the XL table below for information on how to submit a DSAR at the biggest 30 municipalities in the Netherlands. If you’re confused about where to send a request, feel free to e-mail us!
If you want to submit a DSAR by physical mail, you can follow these steps:
- Use this template form (in Dutch) and fill in your personal details that are highlighted. You don’t have to include your BSN, but it is encouraged. Don’t forget to include a copy of your ID! This form is written for the municipality, but you can edit it to send to the police.
- Physically mail the form to the organization or authority you wish to access your information from.
- Wait for a response. This can take up to 6 weeks or 12 in total if an extension of 6 additional weeks is applied.
- You got the response: You can read through it on your own or you can read through it with the help of our team working on the project and if you like our legal team.
- We start looking for redress!
Want to join the fight?
If you have questions or concerns, or just want to join the project, e-mail us at OurDataOurChoiceNL@proton.me and a member of the team will contact you!
Want to send a data subject request right now? Click here or see the form below. Our form has been written by a digital rights expert with the help of a Dutch activist that led to several litigations for himself and others to obtain his and others’ files in the Netherlands.Â
We will support you all the way. Obtaining justice can be a lengthy process but we will make sure your concerns are heard and answered as much as possible.
