URGENT APPEAL FOR DONATIONS

 In May 2010, Privacy First Foundation, together with 21 co-plaintiffs (citizens), launched a large-scale lawsuit against the central storage of fingerprints under the new Passport Act. These fingerprints would be used, among other things, for investigation and prosecution. Every Dutch citizen became a potential suspect as a result. However, in February 2011, the District Court of The Hague declared our case inadmissible - completely wrongly - and therefore did not reach a substantive judgment on the Passport Act. Privacy First immediately announced an appeal. Partly under pressure from this, both the House of Representatives and the cabinet subsequently changed their minds and the storage of fingerprints was largely stopped in the summer of 2011. In the meantime, however, the appeal in our Passport Process continued; after all, fingerprint storage could still continue in the future. Only a court ruling on principle could stop it. Our appeal was successful: in early 2014 judged the Hague Court of Appeal that Privacy First was still admissible and that central storage of fingerprints was unlawful for violating the right to privacy. This judgment is also significant for all other Dutch foundations and associations that want to be able to litigate against unlawful legislation in the public interest. However, the hard-fought victory in our Passport Trial has cost Privacy First a huge amount of money in recent years: at least EUR 80,000 in legal fees, paid entirely from donations to Privacy First. For years this has weighed terribly on the limited resources available to a small foundation like Privacy First. Moreover, against our expectations (after all, the storage of fingerprints had already been stopped), in May 2014 the State lodged cassation against the Court of Appeal's decision with the Supreme Court. The State wants Privacy First to still be declared inadmissible and also asks the Supreme Court to still declare the central storage of fingerprints lawful. This may not happen.

Of all human rights, the right to privacy has come under the most pressure in the Netherlands in recent years. One of the crudest Dutch privacy violations since World War II was the massive storage of everyone's fingerprints under the new Passport Act. Earlier this year, the Hague Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Privacy First. This judgment should be upheld in the Supreme Court. To this end, this year Privacy First engaged a cassation law firm to whom this task can be pre-eminently entrusted: Alt Kam Boer Advocaten in The Hague. However, to fund the entire cassation proceedings, Privacy First is currently still EUR 10,000 short. Therefore, today, on the exact 66th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Privacy First urgently appeals for your financial support. Please deposit your financial contribution to IBAN: NL95ABNA0495527521 t.n.v. Stichting Privacy First, Amsterdam o.w.v. "Passport Process" or transfer your donation directly via our donation module. Privacy First is recognised by the tax authorities as an Institution for General Benefit (ANBI). Your donations to Privacy First are therefore tax deductible.

Privacy First thanks you in advance for your support! Together we can win this case!!!

More information:
– Hague Court of Appeal ruling 18 February 2014
– case file

Update 25 February 2015: To fund our defence in cassation, Privacy First still comes EUR 5,000 shortfall. Privacy First therefore hereby reiterates its urgent appeal for your financial support!

Update 28 May 2015: In an incomprehensible ruling, the Supreme Court has declared Privacy First and all co-claimants inadmissible again - against all odds. Read HERE the entire statement and HERE OUR COMMENT. The Supreme Court also ordered Privacy First to pay EUR 5,088 to litigation costs. Therefore, Privacy First once again urgently appeals for your financial support. Thank you in advance for your help!