In January 2014, I started with my project to ask for my personal data stored at the government institutions, that in the end resulted in a huge pile of letters with personal information, identification numbers, work-related information: income, taxes, insurance, internet and phone data, travel data and so on, that all put together give a detailed insight in the person that I am.
Unfortunately, the government is not very transparant about the systems and files they use when collecting personal information. The long list of databases (at least about one hundred!) would be rather chaotic und unreadable, so I structured the use of my database in a simple questionnaire. By filling in questions like 'Are you a home owner?' anyone can verify which databases contain personal information. This makes it a lot simpler to retrieve your information, to review it and possible even correct it.
I do realise this is an ambitious project that will probably never come to an end, but it will take us a step closer to an answer on what the government exactly knows about its citizens.
(Update: the database of databases in no longer available online).
