Dutch privacy regulators issue caution against Israeli terms for assistance groups
The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP), the Dutch data protection authority, has expressed concerns over Israel's new privacy requirements for aid organizations operating in Palestinian territories. The concerns stem from a recent amendment to Israel’s Protection of Privacy Law (PPL), effective August 14, 2025, which mandates certain organizations to appoint Data Protection Officers (DPOs) and adhere to strengthened data protection measures.
The new Israeli privacy regime aligns with the European Union’s data transfer framework to Israel, as the EU has recognized Israel as providing an adequate level of data protection under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, the AP has raised questions about the political and legal context of data use in the Palestinian territories.
Under the new requirements, aid organizations must provide names of donors, including "background information" about those people and the exact amounts they have donated to the aid organization. It remains unclear to the aid organizations what happens to the personal data after it has been delivered to Israel.
The AP's concern is that the data transfer could potentially violate the data protection level equivalent to that in the European Union, as stated in the agreement between the European Commission and Israel. The authority has asked the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry to discuss the issue with the European Commission, as the registration requirements could also affect other European aid organizations.
The AP has also contacted the Israeli privacy regulator to express its concerns about the new obligations. The AP's statement suggests that this situation presents aid organizations with a dilemma: defending the rights of their employees or continuing to work in Gaza. The AP has concluded that the aid organization does not have a valid reason to supply the requested personal data to Israel.
In a bold move, the AP has now called upon the Dutch government to formally protest against this new Israeli privacy requirement. The AP's concern is that this information will likely be used for screening and profiling, raising serious ethical and human rights concerns.
The AP will discuss with its European counterparts how this issue relates to the data transfer agreement between the European Commission and Israel. The AP's stance underscores the complexities and tensions surrounding data privacy and geopolitical issues in the Palestinian territories.
- The AP's concern about the potential data transfer to Israel could pose a challenge for businesses dealing with finance, as the new privacy requirements may affect European aid organizations working in Palestine.
- Despite the alignment of Israel's new privacy regime with the European Union's data transfer framework, questions remain about the ethical implications and human rights concerns, particularly in regards to the use of personal data for screening and profiling within the business and finance sector.
