• The University
  • 20/10/2022

Three-quarters of Dutch student data stored on American cloud

The personal and study data of a significant number of Dutch students are stored at data centers of Microsoft and Amazon, newspaper FD reports based on a new study. Dutch research and applied sciences universities don’t take the potential risks seriously enough, the researchers say.

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In 2015, only 25 percent of all student data was stored on the cloud. Last year, that percentage had increased to 75, according to an as yet unpublished study obtained by the Financieele Dagblad (FD).  

Bart Luijten, director of IMS, informs Cursor “that this applies to every university in the Netherlands, and that TU/e is no exception. SURF regularly talks about public values and the possibility of developing a European alternative to the American cloud. In reality, however, this is rather complicated. What is important to realize, is that we comply with the strict legal framework for all our applications. We carry out privacy impact assessments, for example, and make clear agreements with suppliers about data protection.”

Risks

Experts have long been warning of the risks of cloud storage. Student data is being managed by tech companies that fall under US law. This means that it is relatively easy for American investigative services to gain access to private data, and that this data can also by sold to advertisers. SURF published an open letter on its website, written by university CIOs, about the risks of moving to the cloud.

The Dutch Student Union (LSVb) told FD that commercial companies are under no circumstance allowed to store student data. The Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) partnership recognizes the risks of dependence on tech companies, but says that the use of software should not be renounced just yet. UNL wants to enforce academic values collectively in contracts with tech giants.

The Dutch House of Representatives expressed its concern last year over tech companies’ influence on higher education and research. In March of this year, educational institutions promised to work together on digital learning materials. They want to protect the privacy of students and staff members. Cyber professors, activists and participation councils have insisted on this in the past.

Political parties VVD and SP have lodged questions to education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf following the publication of the article in FD.

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