How does Statistics Netherlands handle your privacy?
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) treats your personal data with the utmost care. Individuals can never be identified or traced from our statistics or publications. We also have measures in place to prevent the theft, loss or misuse of personal data. Statistics Netherlands will never supply data to third parties, including other government institutions, if it could be used to identify individuals.
Statistics Netherlands protects your data using both technological and logistical measures, and we also have rules to ensure good data protection. Here are the most important measures:
- Whenever you complete a survey or submit data to Statistics Netherlands, the information is delivered to Statistics Netherlands in encoded form and held in a secured environment. Only authorized personnel who need the data for their work have access to that data.
- At the earliest possible stage in the process, all personal details that could be used to identify an individual are removed from the data. This means datasets for research will never contain any data such as names, addresses or citizen identification numbers.
- Every Statistics Netherlands employee is required to observe the strictest standards of confidentiality and has signed a confidentiality agreement to this effect.
- Statistics Netherlands only uses data for statistical and scientific purposes. Statistics Netherlands is not legally permitted to use its data for fiscal, administrative, verification and legal purposes. Neither is our data used for marketing purposes, under any circumstances.
- All statistical processes at Statistics Netherlands are certified for personal data protection standards. This audit is carried out by an accredited external party.