The Stichting Data Bescherming Nederland (SDBN) is suing Twitter.

The company MoPub—which Twitter owned until 2021—has been trading data obtained illegally for years. Data collected from apps that almost every Dutch person uses, ranging from Buienradar, Duolingo, Wordfeud, Vinted and Shazam to dating apps like Grindr and happn and even to apps that track your menstrual cycle or watch your weight. The consequences of this data trading goes beyond ‘the Internet knowing that I’m looking for my next holiday destination’. This data collection allows advertisers to profile users sexual preferences, race, desire for a family, addiction and goals, to name a few. This widespread collection of and profiting from personal data goes far beyond personalised advertising; it threatens our privacy and poses a systematic threat to human rights.

“Je staat te koop” (“You’re for sale”) is the confrontational message that’s central to the SDBN campaign. Coupled with a stark, cold campaign style, it’s a message that grabs your attention, then makes you pause and think.