UWV, the Dutch government agency responsible for unemployment and disability benefits, has come under scrutiny for privacy infringements.
Journalists from AD investigated how hundreds of benefit recipients’ government-issued ID photographs were illegally obtained by the institute. UWV employees responsible for detecting fraud were ordered to ‘request’ official photographs from municipalities, pretending this was protocol, when in reality it was unlawful.
Human rights lawyer Jelle Klaas warns of the risks of discrimination when fraud officers know exactly what someone under investigation looks like. Klaas’ concern is substantiated by UWV’s track record of algorithmic misconduct, including its disproportionate profiling and over-surveillance of people with illegally obtained data in 2023. This is especially problematic and hypocritical; while UWV continues to obtain personal information under false pretences, ignoring data protection rules and regulations, it maintains an overly strict anti-fraud policy targeting benefit claimants.
What is most concerning is the systemic behaviour of governmental institutions, such as UWV, which continue to act with free rein, infringing on privacy without any substantial repercussions. Data protection authorities reported on the plethora of discriminatory algorithms in 2024, where cases like this persist across governmental entities. One has to wonder whether this isn’t the perfect moment for UWV to have its own strict rules applied to itself…
See: UWV legt regels naast zich neer bij opsporen fraude at AD.
Image is a collage from the original article.