Cybersecurity Policy Report, Survey Finds Knowledge Gaps in Dutch Businesses’ Use of Algorithms to Process Personal Data, (Apr 16, 2025)
A survey of 1,600 companies conducted by the Dutch data protection authority, Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP), found that the Dutch business community considers itself insufficiently knowledgeable about the use of algorithms that process personal data, AP said in a news release today.
A majority of the companies don’t know whether they use algorithms to process personal data, and, if they do process such data, they often don’t know what algorithms are involved, AP reported. The report is provided in Dutch only, and the DPA provides a summary of the findings on its website.
Of the companies surveyed, 44% said they used algorithms to process personal data, with large companies doing so more often than small companies. However, only 6% of these companies say algorithms that process personal data are very important for the functioning of the organization, according to the survey results.
The survey found that 20% of the algorithms mentioned by respondents involved high-risk applications such as fraud detection, behavioral assessment, risk profiling, medical applications, or applicant assessment. Further, 15% of companies use algorithms to make decisions about people, and nearly one-third do so partially without human intervention. The survey found that 65% of companies using algorithms to process personal data buy their most important algorithm from a third party.
The companies surveyed indicated that they had only limited knowledge of the rules, with 43% failing to check whether there were risks to using an algorithm and only 8% continuing to monitor risks after. Further, 31% of companies have no one supervising algorithms internally, and 16% of companies do not know whether there is anyone supervising, the survey found.
AP said it would continue to talk to companies to collect best practices on setting up algorithms that process personal data. It will also examine the responsibility of suppliers and provide information about the procurement of algorithms.
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