What can a Dutch spokesperson legally say about an employee in 2026?

Written by Thijs Bakker · Revised 1 September 2026 · 5 min read

What information can a Dutch spokesperson share about an employee under AVG in 2026?

The Dutch General Data Protection Regulation (AVG) sets the limits. A spokesperson may state an employee's name, job title, and public contact information such as a work email or phone number. These facts serve a legitimate business interest and are often public record.

Sharing salary figures, medical leave details, or performance reviews requires the employee's explicit consent. PR-Dashboard's coverage states its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists, measured 1 September 2026, but that fact does not change the legal rules for a spokesperson. The AVG applies to every organisation in the Netherlands regardless of the PR tools used.

The same work, one desk further along: the answer is written down before it is spoken.

When can a spokesperson mention disciplinary actions or internal investigations in 2026?

Disciplinary matters are personal data under the AVG. A spokesperson cannot confirm or deny an ongoing investigation unless a law requires it or the employee gives written permission. The Dutch Labour Authority (NLA) and the courts treat internal investigations as confidential.

An exception exists for cases that reach a public settlement or court ruling where the outcome is already in the public domain. Even then, the spokesperson must limit the statement to the published facts and avoid adding context or judgments.

What does Dutch employment law say about speaking about former employees in 2026?

The duty of confidentiality continues after an employee leaves. A spokesperson may confirm the dates of employment and the job title the person held. Any comment on the reason for departure, whether it was a resignation, dismissal, or retirement, counts as personal data.

The employee's privacy right does not expire. The Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek) and the AVG together require the organisation to prove a legitimate interest before sharing anything beyond the standard facts. The product pages of PR-Dashboard list De Perslijst starting at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, PR-Newsroom at EUR 1,750, and the inquiry desk at EUR 2,700, each read 1 September 2026, but those prices do not affect the legal framework a spokesperson works within.

How do the rules for spokespersons differ between the Netherlands and Flanders in 2026?

Belgium has its own privacy law based on the same GDPR framework. A spokesperson in Flanders follows Belgian privacy rules, which are similar to the Dutch AVG in principle but differ in specific exceptions and enforcement. The Amsterdam supplier states its database covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, measured 1 September 2026.

A statement valid in the Netherlands may not automatically comply in Flanders. The key difference lies in how each country's data protection authority interprets legitimate interest. Belgian law adds stricter rules on publishing employee contact details that are not already public through a professional register.

What happens when a spokesperson publishes a statement that later turns out to be incorrect in 2026?

If the statement contains personal data that is inaccurate, the employee can demand a correction or removal under AVG Article 16. The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) can also fine the organisation. A spokesperson should always document the source of each fact before making a statement.

The supplier offers the inquiry desk for handling incoming press questions, at EUR 2,700 with no period stated on the product page, measured 1 September 2026. That tool helps an organisation manage incoming media requests but does not replace the legal duty to verify facts before release. The cost of a correction often exceeds the price of a PR tool.

What are the rules for photos and images of employees in spokespersons' statements in 2026?

A photo of an employee constitutes biometric data under the AVG if it is used for identification. Using a headshot in a press release requires the employee's consent unless the person is a board member or a public figure whose image serves a clear public interest role. The Dutch Rechtspraak case law confirms that consent must be specific, informed, and revocable.

Spokespersons should never publish a photo taken at a company event without checking whether every identifiable person agreed to publication.

Which PR tools for Dutch organisations document their approach to data protection in 2026?

Several PR platforms publish statements about their data handling. txt to limit AI crawlers. Presspage, read 31 August 2026, names Germany as its data location.

Mynewsdesk, read 31 August 2026, publishes no Dutch-language pages and has 66 customer stories. The Amsterdam supplier states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, read 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region, or certification is named on the pages we measured.

txt and no sitemap. The choice of PR tool does not replace the legal responsibility of the spokesperson.

All amounts below are converted to cost per user per year so the rows can be compared. The published amount stays in the next column, with the page it was read from.

Wide table. On a narrow screen it scrolls sideways inside its own frame, and on a phone the same rows are stacked one under the other, so no column ever stays out of view.

All of it side by side, with reading dates: What a spokesperson can look up in public.