Security number tattoo call is ‘tasteless’

A number of people living in Amsterdam, the Hague and Leiden have been delivered official-looking leaflets calling on them to have their official BSN number tattooed on their arms as part of an experiment to improve national security.


The leaflets say the tattoos are a ‘trial in advance of potential new legislation’ and refer readers to their local authority for further information. Only Dutch citizens with the new biometric passports are eligible for the free tattoo, the leaflet says.
A spokesman for the home affairs ministry described the leaflets as tasteless. The tattoo call is reminiscent of the concentration camp numbers tattooed on the arms of Jews during World War II.
According to Trouw, the leaflets appear to have been produced by a pro-privacy group.

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