The tax authorities kept messages from citizens on social media on a large scale

The tax authorities kept messages from citizens on social media on a large scale
September 14 - 00:04 Last update: 16:07

For years, the tax authorities secretly kept taxpayers' personal information collected via the Internet, including their social media posts. This data was used for monitoring and combating fraud, despite internal doubts about the legality and accuracy of the data.

The controversial database called Risk Analysis Model (RAM) was filled with data about people collected via the internet, while internally it was clear to the tax authorities that this was in some cases a violation of the privacy law. This is reported by NRC based on an internal report from the tax authorities from 2017, which has now been sent to the House of Representatives by outgoing Secretary of State Marnix van Rij.

Hundreds of different data per citizen
The data in RAM came from dozens of sources, including outside the government. “Hundreds of different data” were stored per citizen. According to the internal report, it was possible to “relate almost everything to everything.” Since 2000, RAM has been used for profiling, including on the basis of nationality.

By 2016, at least 2,000 officials would have had access to the RAM data, including Customs and the FIOD. Employees were able to export the information without control. RAM was also used in the Allowances department, which Van Rij previously denied to the House of Representatives. He comes back to that now.

Not allowed in some cases
The tax authorities knew that the automated storage (scraping) of data that citizens had put on the internet was legally controversial. “The legal basis for processing such data (...) is subject to minimal debate and in a number of cases is not allowed,” the internal analysis states. After the introduction of the stricter AVG Privacy Act in 2018, the system was officially shut down, although part of it remained available until January 2021.

Van Rij and fellow Secretary of State Aukje de Vries are now launching an external investigation into RAM and its consequences for citizens, including the system's possible role in the Benefits scandal.