Dutch government sued for compensation over GGD Covid data theft

The ICAM Foundation filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare, and Sport and 34 other agencies over a data breach at the GGD health services during the coronavirus pandemic. The foundation is demanding 500 euros compensation for affected people and 1,500 euros for people who can prove that their data was stolen, NOS reports.

For a period during the pandemic, GGD call center employees had access to the personal data of everyone who had been tested for Covid-19. RTL Nieuws revealed that some GGD workers traded in this sensitive data on a large scale. According to the foundation, up to 6.5 million people may be affected.

Last year, the foundation threatened a lawsuit but postponed it to talk with the MInstry and try to find a solution. According to the foundation, there was too little progress, so it is proceeding with the case.

People who want to participate in this mass claim can register with the foundation. Signing up is free. A lender is funding the legal process, and ICAM will get 20 percent of any compensation, up to a maximum of five times the cost of the case. According to Liesker Procesfinanciering, the lender funding this case, the GGD claim will cost at least 1 million euros.