Ten Dutch municipalities fined for violating privacy of Muslim residents in secret probes
The municipalities have been fined $295,000 for processing files containing sensitive information about Muslim residents without their knowledge.

Ten Dutch municipalities fined for violating privacy of Muslim residents in secret probes
People gather to attend a street iftar event held at the “Mosque Square” in Utrecht, Netherlands, on March 08 2025
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has fined 10 municipalities a total of €250,000 ($295,000) for violating privacy laws by conducting research into Muslim communities without their knowledge, broadcaster NOS reported on Thursday.

The fact that municipalities had secretly commissioned studies and processed files containing sensitive information about Muslim residents was first revealed in 2021.

The investigations stemmed from fears of radicalisation linked to the rise of Daesh and the Syrian civil war.

Following calls from the Dutch government and the counterterrorism agency NCTV to curb radicalisation and prevent travel to Syria, ten municipalities hired an external firm to collect information on local Muslim communities, including mosque structures and key figures, the AP noted.

While the scope of the reports differed, all included details about individuals’ religious beliefs, such as their Islamic denomination. Some went further, compiling names, photographs, family details and accounts of internal mosque dynamics, with detailed personal profiles included in several cases.

Some of the reports were reportedly also shared with the police, the NCTV and the Social Affairs and Employment Ministry.