“At the moment, people who are threatened or at personal risk can get their data protected upon request,” Sjoerdsma explains. “But then you have to be on an NCTV list or be protected by the government. This means in practice that for many journalists it is not possible to prevent the protection of their address». Incomprehensible, says Sjoerdsma. “In 2021 there were more than 270 accidents.”
Sjoerdsma thinks De Jonge’s argument is “very puzzling”. ‘I find it incomprehensible that the government is doing nothing about it. We had the same kind of battle in the Chamber of Commerce. We are constantly confronted with this. It seems we are winning the battle now, but why De Jonge’s attitude is like this is really a mystery to me.’
Doxing
According to deputy D66, De Jonge aims, among other things, at the criminalization of doxing, the publication of personal data on the internet. “That ban is being worked on and is also badly needed,” agrees Sjoerdsma. In addition, the housing minister would like a transparent housing market, shielding the Land Registry would make money laundering easier. ‘Agencies involved in money laundering investigations, for example, have a good reason to request data from the Kadaster. It must continue to exist, but what I ask is that the residential addresses of journalists are protected from everyone.’