Despite the outcry over ING’s plans to offer information about customer spending patterns to advertisers, dozens of Dutch firms are already involved in similar projects, the Financieele Dagblad says on Tuesday.

Privacy expert Jitty van Doodewaerd, of the Dutch marketeers’ association DDMA, said many firms have taken the plunge and that consumers are also cooperating.

‘We already give away a lot about our behaviour via mail order firm Wehkamp, the airmiles organisation and customer loyalty cards,’ she said. ‘Telephone apps read information, particularly the big ones like Whatsapp and Candy Crush. They are American and don’t have to ask permission.’

Terms and conditions

In addition, American financial institutions like Visa say in their terms and conditions that information will be shared with advertisers, the FD says.

Entrepreneur Marcel van Galen said companies such as ABN Amro, the social insurance bank SVB and companies like Vodafone and cable group Ziggo use its service Qiy – a personal data storage service which allows consumers to accept offers from advertisers.