About us
Our mission
The data economy has brought us many benefits. However, we are also aware of the individual and societal harm that results from the increasingly frequent unlawful use and processing of personal data. Effective protection of the right to privacy and the right to protection of personal data is essential for a thriving, free, and competitive data economy, for the fair treatment of individuals, and for a functioning democratic society.
SDBN's mission is to protect the interests of victims who have been harmed as a result of violations of their privacy and/or unlawful processing of their personal data, and to ensure that existing infringements are remedied and victims are adequately compensated.
The work of SDBN
SDBN is currently investigating a series of breaches of privacy laws and regulations by companies operating in the data economy. We will share the results of our investigation with the companies responsible and invite these parties to come together to find a reasonable solution that will remedy these breaches and compensate those who have suffered damage.
We prefer out-of-court settlements to costly and time-consuming legal proceedings. However, if the responsible parties are unwilling to enter into voluntary settlements, SDBN will initiate collective action on behalf of its constituents to enforce their right to compensation and obtain a court order to stop existing violations and prevent further violations.
We strive to involve the supporters of Stichting Data Bescherming Nederland as much as possible in decision-making on important issues. For example, if a settlement is reached or if we are allowed to make a proposal in the proceedings regarding the settlement of damages or the calculation of damages, we will endeavor to inform our participants and take your opinion into account. We will do this, for example, through an (online) meeting or a survey. We also continuously answer questions regarding our cases against Adobe, Amazon, and X. through our frequently asked questions on the website or directly via email (info@
SDBN's activities complement the enforcement of applicable regulations and supervision aimed at protecting the right to privacy. We are convinced that our work enables victims to access the law and facilitates recourse against companies that violate their right to privacy. In this way, SDBN helps to ensure that companies in the data economy operate within the law and regulations in the future.
Governance
SDBN is led by a board of directors and a supervisory board, consisting of independent members with expertise and affinity in all areas relevant to the matters it investigates.
The board is responsible, among other things, for determining and implementing the financial policy and strategy of the Foundation. The board reports to the supervisory board at least once a year.
The supervisory board supervises the policy and strategy of the board of directors and the general affairs of the foundation. The supervisory board also advises the board of directors. The members of the supervisory board focus on the interests of the foundation's supporters.
Board
Anouk Ruhaak
Anouk Ruhaak
Until recently, Anouk Ruhaak was a Senior Fellow at the Mozilla Foundation. Her work focuses on implementing alternative models for data governance that enable users to make collective decisions about their data and share the benefits of that data more widely. Prior to her involvement with the Mozilla Foundation, Ms. Ruhaak gained extensive experience as a data governance consultant at think tanks such as the Open Data Institute, as a data journalist at Platform Investico, and as a software developer for various clients in the US and Europe. She has a background in economics and political science.
Niels Lemmers
Niels Lemmers
Niels Lemmers is Head of Public Affairs at Flow Traders. Prior to his career at Flow Traders, Mr. Lemmers gained extensive experience in the financial, legal, and management sectors. Niels has worked as a lawyer and head of public affairs at the Dutch Investors' Association (VEB), as director of the European Investors' Association, and as a lawyer at the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). He studied corporate and securities law and financial economics at Radboud University in Nijmegen.
Xander van Dinten
Xander van Dinten
Xander van Dinten joined SDBN as a director and treasurer on September 11, 2023. Xander has been active in financial services for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in preparing and advising on financial reporting and tax returns. Since 2015, Xander has been the owner of Finserad B.V., an accountancy and tax consultancy firm. Prior to that, Xander worked at Werring & Schuler administration and tax consultants, and at ATC Corporate Services (acquired by Intertrust in 2013) in various financial and administrative positions in Amsterdam and Curaçao.
Raad van toezicht
Ton Louwers
Ton Louwers
Mr. Ton Louwers is CFO of Allego, the largest public pan-European EV charging network. Mr. Louwers has an extensive financial background and has gained expertise in change management, financial recovery, mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance, and strategy implementation. Mr. Louwers studied at the University of Amsterdam and holds a master's degree in business economics and a postgraduate degree as a chartered accountant.
Michael Silverleaf KC
Michael Silverleaf KC
Mr. Silverleaf is a senior King's Counsel (distinction of excellence) at the English Bar. He graduated in physics and specializes in intellectual property and technology-related law. He has acted as counsel for the UK Treasury and has experience as a lawyer and mediator in a wide range of technical and commercial fields. Mr. Silverleaf has appeared in courts at all levels in the UK, before the European Patent Office, and before the European Court of Justice. His technical experience spans many sectors, including telecommunications and information technology. His practice relates to confidential information, privacy, and data protection.
Catherine Mulligan
Catherine Mulligan
Catherine Mulligan is an expert in the field of computer science. She has been active as a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Data for Common Purpose Initiative and is currently part of the Crypto Impact and Sustainability Accelerator (CISA), also at the WEF. In the past, she has provided expert advice to various governments and NGOs. Among other positions, she is a visiting researcher at Imperial College London, where she is co-head of the Center for Cryptocurrency Research and Engineering. Catherine conducts research into the technical, economic, and policy applications of digital technologies and digital transformation. In addition to her academic career, Prof. Mulligan has extensive experience in translating her research into practical solutions for multinationals, governments, and startups.
Frequently asked questions
SDBN has attracted external financing from recognized litigation financiers for the various cases it is currently pursuing. The financing is provided on a non-recourse basis: in exchange for advancing the (legal) costs of the action, the financier only receives compensation if the action is successful and compensation is actually paid to the supporters (also referred to as a success fee).
SDBN always ensures that it remains completely independent from the external parties providing the financing. This is laid down in financing agreements. The financing agreements contain various standard guarantees relating to, among other things, (i) control and decision-making authority over the foundation's policy and activities, (ii) the confidentiality of information belonging to the foundation, (ii) early termination of the financing agreement, and (iv) the sharing (on a confidential basis) of the financing conditions with the court at its request.
Furthermore, the financing conditions do not conflict with the collective interests of the foundation's supporters. The foundation's lawyers and other advisors are also completely independent of the financiers. Financing agreements with external financiers are laid down in writing and are governed by Dutch law.
For more information, please refer to our most recent Claim Code Compliance Document (available for download below).
The case against X-Corp (formerly Twitter.com) is being financed by Tilia Finance LP, based in the Cayman Islands. Tilia Finance LP is part of Orchard Global. Orchard Global (founded in 2005) is a renowned litigation funder with extensive experience in financing large and complex legal proceedings. Since 2015, Orchard Global has been providing litigation funding to initiatives in the United Kingdom, Europe, the US, and Australia. Orchard Global is a member of the Association of Litigation Funders and complies with that organization's code of conduct. This code of conduct (to which the Claim Code also refers) has been drawn up to protect parties that make use of litigation financing.
The case against Amazon is being financed entirely by a professional litigation financier, Marsh Funding, LLC, established in Delaware (US), a group company of Longford Capital. Longford Capital is a US-based litigation financing company founded in 2013 that provides financial resources to plaintiffs and attorneys involved in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property disputes, and international arbitration.
The case against Adobe is being financed entirely by a professional litigation funder, Marsh Funding, LLC, based in Delaware (US), an affiliate of Longford Capital. Longford Capital is a US-based litigation financing company founded in 2013 that provides financial resources to plaintiffs and attorneys involved in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property disputes, and international arbitration.
You can register as an aggrieved party in one or more of the lawsuits currently being conducted by SDBN via www.jestaattekoop.nl.
For more information about the conditions for participation in each case, see: conditions for participation in the Twitter case, conditions for participation in the Amazon case, and conditions for participation in the Adobe case.
There are no costs associated with participation, and victims do not run any financial risk by participating. Only in the event that the court awards you and other victims compensation will a portion of the amount awarded be retained to cover the costs of the lawsuit, including the litigation financier's success fee (see above, “How are SDBN's activities financed?”).
For more information about the conditions for participation in each case, see: conditions for participation in the Twitter case, conditions for participation in the Amazon case, and conditions for participation in the Adobe case.
Yes. You can unsubscribe at any time by sending an email to [email protected].
For more information about the conditions for participation in each case, see: conditions for participation in the Twitter case, conditions for participation in the Amazon case, and conditions for participation in the Adobe case.
How we work
As a collective representative, SDBN carries out its activities in accordance with the principles of the Claim Code 2019. This is a code of conduct and governance aimed at ensuring the proper and independent functioning of claim foundations.
Our Claim Code Compliance document contains more information about the structure of the foundation and how we comply with the Claim Code 2019.
Via the Central Insolvency Register website (rechtspraak.nl), you can verify that SDBN is not in a state of bankruptcy, that no bankruptcy petition is pending, that no suspension of payments has been granted to SDBN, and that no (public) WHOA proceedings are pending.