Mobilizing for Privacy: Civil Society Advocacy against Surveillance in the Netherlands

Abstract

This article discusses how civil society is mobilizing international human rights to advocate for more privacy and personal data protection. In comparison to other European countries, privacy advocacy has commenced relatively recently in the Netherlands. Since 2009, civil society has expressed its concern about increased state surveillance at the international, national and local level. The article ends by discussing from a political and judicial perspective if human rights mobilization is an effective strategy to ensure compliance with privacy and data protection law in the Netherlands.