Uncle Sam is listening in

RNW, 14 August 2012,

 (Yammer/Floris Oostenveld)

The American administration is able to access communications between Dutch civil servants, according to the Nederlands Dagblad.

Government agencies in the Netherlands make wide scale use of the enterprise social network Yammer for internal communication. But all the data gathered by the California-based company falls under US anti-terror laws and can thus be accessed by American officials.

Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld, who is active in EU policy affecting internet privacy, commented that the problem affects all companies and institutions that also do business with America. She cited the example of a US company which produces Dutch passports, meaning the fingerprints of Dutch citizens are available via the anti-terror laws. “Europe must say to the US: this far and no further. This is our jurisdiction” commented the politician to broadcaster BNR, “We must respect each other and not go rummaging about in each other's data.”