Privacy watchdog wants explanation about Abu Dhabi deal

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has asked the Saltro laboratory and the Ministry of Health for an explanation of the privacy safeguards in the deal whereby corona tests of Dutch people are flown to Abu Dhabi for analysis.

This morning it turned out that the material from people who get a corona test at the GGD, will soon sent to Abu Dhabi. A deal on this between labs and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is imminent. The airlift to cover the 5000 kilometers has already been arranged.

According to the privacy watchdog, sending personal data to Abu Dhabi is only permitted if “special safeguards have been taken to adequately protect privacy”.

Without the guarantee that the data cannot fall into the wrong hands, the transfer of personal data is not allowed because the emirate does not have an “adequate level of protection”. This applies to many countries outside the European Union.

The Authority wants to know what measures the lab and ministry have taken to protect privacy. The body also states that people whose corona test material is going to Abu Dhabi must be informed in advance.

According to the Authority, the material of corona tests needs extra protection. “Because if you have a health examination carried out, you have to be able to trust blindly that the medical data will be handled carefully.”

Assessment takes weeks

Privacy expert Jeroen Terstegge is also very curious about the lab’s safeguards. He says that personal data can only be transferred to countries outside the European Union if there is an equivalent level of privacy protection in that country.

“To determine this, the lab has to do an assessment. Normally it takes weeks, if not months. You have to examine the entire legislation of Abu Dhabi,” says Terstegge.

“For example, they have to see to what extent the government there, such as the secret service or police, can gain access to the data. So you cannot decide this in a late afternoon.”

GGD not informed

It is still unclear when exactly the material from the Dutch will go to Abu Dhabi. An internal email shows that this happened for the first time yesterday, but this is denied by Saltro. The Dutch lab Saltro is one of the major international player Unilabs, which also has a branch in Abu Dhabi.

The GGD in Utrecht has a contract with Saltro for the analysis of corona tests. The GGD says it was not aware of the intention to send corona tests to Abu Dhabi before today. “GGD region Utrecht knew that Saltro was looking for alternatives to increase the lab capacity. We will be informed about the alternatives as soon as this is final,” says a short statement.

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