Political cookies
We warn political parties against the use of illegal cookies
In October 2025, we warned political parties about the unlawful use of cookies and trackers, less than three weeks before the elections.
Our investigation showed that on the websites of BBB, ChristenUnie, 50Plus, DENK, FvD, JA21, and NSC, visitor data was being collected and shared with third parties without consent, including through cookies and tracking pixels. Following a written warning, all political parties committed to adjusting their websites.
Why is this a problem?
The collection and sharing of this type of data is particularly concerning when it involves political websites, because the data collected may reveal a person’s political preferences. Under the GDPR, this information qualifies as special category personal data and therefore requires additional protection. With elections approaching, potentially hundreds of thousands of voters could have visited these websites and lost control over their personal data.
Political parties have a special responsibility when it comes to respecting privacy. We are therefore pleased that they acknowledge the identified issues and are taking action to bring their websites into compliance with the law.
All parties involved responded to our warning and confirmed that they would adjust their cookie banners and analytics tools so that visitors are given a genuine choice about which data they wish to share. We view this as a positive outcome of our out-of-court enforcement approach.
We will continue to call on political and civil society organizations to handle personal data with care and to be transparent about their use of online tracking technologies.