COVID-19: Personal data of thousands of people leaked from Dutch track-and-trace programme

The Dutch health authorities (GGD) on January 29 said that personal information of a large number of people who participated in the Netherlands’ coronavirus track-and-trace programme has been leaked. In a statement, the health agency confirmed media reports that data had been stolen and further apologised for what it said were two separate leaks. The officials said that it did not know how many people were affected by the data theft, however, they added that the number could be in the thousands. 

The GGD said that the data leaks were from its core coronavirus tracking system and not related to a tracking smartphone app that had been earlier criticised for potential privacy weakness. The health agency said that if people who mean “ill intentionally” take data out of a system, that’s almost impossible to stop. They acknowledged that people may now be reluctant to participate in its track-and-trace programme, but also added that they would do their best to restore public confidence. 

In a press release, GGD said, “We are working closely with the police, justice and data and cybercrime specialists. People who have crossed the line will be fired, simply, and weak spots in our security will be identified and strengthened”. 

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Anti-curfew riots 

Meanwhile, the confirmation of the data leak follows violent protests over a government decision to impose a night-time curfew in addition to a month-long lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly virus. Some cities and towns reported looting of shops and supermarkets. The capital of Amsterdam also saw smaller protests against the new measures that were announced on Saturday. According to reports, more than 200 people have been detained in connection with the protests. 

Dutch PM Mark Rutte has condemned the violence and riots. While calling the violent protests “criminal violence”, the PM said that the riots are “unacceptable”. He added that tough action will be taken against those who took part in the riots or helped incite them. "This has nothing to do with protesting or fighting for freedom. It is criminal violence and we will treat it as such," PM Rutte said. 

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