Privacy statement

Your data is processed by TNO. This often involves cooperation with other organisations. For the NWCS, the NSS and CODI, for instance, we cooperate with Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and for STREAM with Ipsos. For CODI and NEWS, TNO engages a fieldwork agency to collect the data. Below we will briefly tell you about these agencies.

The letters TNO stand for Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. TNO is an independent public research organisation established under the TNO Act. One of TNO’s tasks is to transform science into practical applications useful to society. In conducting research, TNO frequently cooperates with government agencies. TNO processes personal data under Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation (AVG) in the context of the performance of its statutory duties.

The mission of Statistics Netherlands (CBS) is to publish reliable and coherent statistical information that responds to the needs of society. CBS is a government agency that is allowed to use personal data on the basis of the CBS Act. CBS processes personal data on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) of the AVG.

The STREAM survey was previously conducted by GfK using its panel. The department responsible for this was acquired in 2018 by Ipsos, a global market research agency, in the Netherlands and other countries. Ipsos has gained access to the GfK panel previously used for the purpose of STREAM. Naturally, the data collected will again be treated confidentially.

In some of our questionnaire surveys, the questionnaire data are collected by an external fieldwork agency. This is an agency that arranges the practical implementation of the survey, but does not use the data. If this is the case, it is indicated in the information letter you received. The fieldwork agency receives address data, which may only be used for the purpose of the survey in question and must be destroyed after the survey. On each occasion, this is recorded in a ‘processing agreement’ with the fieldwork agency. This states, for example, that the agency must not pass on the data to others.

TNO carries out scientific and statistical research. This research serves the general interest of Dutch society. TNO has a statutory duty to carry out this type of research. When carrying out this type of research, personal data may be used. For research carried out in cooperation with CBS, CBS also has a legal task to carry out such research and may use personal data for this purpose.

In the questionnaires we sometimes ask for privacy-sensitive information such as data about your health. To process this data in our surveys, we need your permission if we do not conduct the surveys with CBS. We therefore ask you for this before answering these questions. Participation in the survey is voluntary; you decide whether to take part or not. You can withdraw your consent at any time. You can do this simply by letting us know that you no longer want your data to be used (see contact details below).

After the data collection has been completed, TNO receives a pseudonymised data file. This means that the file does not contain any names or contact details, except for data you entered in the survey. The file therefore only contains the answers to the questions, with the exception of the surveys conducted by TNO together with CBS, in which case the file is supplemented with data from registrations. CBS collects data itself and also receives a lot of registration data from other institutions. These include, for instance, data on income, employment situation and population. This way, we do not have to ask everything and we can limit the length of the questionnaires.

TNO uses the data files to conduct scientific research. These data can be shared with other researchers, but only on a non-identifiable basis and under strict security. To protect your data, we take both physical and technical measures. We ensure that no unauthorised access is possible and that no personally identifiable data are disclosed. For joint TNO-CBS projects, TNO and CBS have made agreements about the handling of data that are laid down in agreements for the various questionnaire surveys and in a covenant concluded between TNO and CBS. Both agreements take various measures to protect the data. This is an obligation stipulated in the CBS Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (AVG).

TNO and the research organisations with which TNO cooperates attach great importance to the protection of your personal data and have taken the necessary measures to this end. The data are processed using properly secured computer systems to which unauthorised persons cannot have access. Your data can only be accessed by authorised members of the research team. Inspection by authorised inspectors may be necessary to check the reliability and quality of the research. TNO and the cooperating research bodies guarantee that your data will only be used for statistical purposes. In publications about the study, the (answers of) individual participants are in no way recognisable.

We keep your e-mail address (if you have provided it) for 3 years unless you inform us in the interim that you no longer wish to participate in the research. After this period, TNO only keeps pseudonymised research data. It is necessary to keep these data for a longer period to be able to verify the reliability and quality of the research and to look at changes over time.

Based on privacy legislation, you have several rights, such as the right to inspect or delete your data and the right to object. For more information on your rights and how to exercise them, please refer to the privacy statement on the corporate websites of TNO, CBS, and/or Ipsos.

If you have additional questions about how we handle your data in the context of the above studies, please contact us via this website’s contact form or contact TNO’s Data Protection Officer.

TNO, CBS and Ipsos have appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO). The DPO is the internal supervisor within these organisations who ensures that they comply with their obligations under privacy legislation. You can contact the DPO if you have a complaint or believe that TNO or other organisations involved do not comply with privacy legislation. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Authority for Personal Data at any time if you believe that TNO or any of the other organisations are violating privacy legislation.