Privacy Promises vs. Reality
A Case Study of Six Dutch News Sites
What really happens behind the scenes when you read the news online? Many websites claim to respect your privacy-but do their actions match their words? This investigation reveals how six major Dutch news platforms handle your data, and whether user consent truly comes first.
Why This Matters
Most websites say they respect your privacy. They show banners, cookie settings, and long policy texts. But here's the real question:
Do those promises match what actually happens behind the scenes?
To find out, we visited six of the Netherlands' most popular news sites to see what data they collect-and when.
“Spoiler: Consent doesn't always come first.”
What We Did
Using an advanced agentic browser, we analysed each site by:
- Reading its privacy policy
- Detecting real-time tracking scripts
- Comparing what's promised with what's actually happening
We focused on:
- NOS.nl: public broadcaster
- NU.nl, AD.nl, Trouw.nl: DPG Media
- NRC.nl, Telegraaf.nl: Mediahuis
Key Question: Do these news sites respect the privacy claims they make?
Overview of Findings
| Site | Matched behaviour? | Trackers before consent | Profiling without login | Easy to opt out | Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOS.nl | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Anonymous only | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | Excellent |
| NU.nl | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Difficult | Low |
| AD.nl | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Difficult | Low |
| Trouw.nl | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Difficult | Low |
| NRC.nl | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | Very Low |
| Telegraaf.nl | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | Very Low |
What We Observed
NOS.nl: A Rare Example of Transparency
- Tracks only anonymised statistics
- No personalised ads or profiling
- Clear opt-out options
✅ Privacy promises are kept.
NU.nl, AD.nl, Trouw.nl (DPG Media)
- Behaviour-based tracking begins before consent
- User profiles built even if you're not logged in
- Cookie settings hidden or multi-step
⚠️ Policies look fair-but tracking is the default.
NRC.nl & Telegraaf.nl (Mediahuis)
- 50+ advertising partners track visitors from the first click
- Profiling starts without clear consent
- No easy way to refuse
❌ What's promised and what happens are worlds apart.
💡 Surprising Insights
- You're tracked before you choose. Even if banners suggest otherwise.
- You don't need an account to be profiled. Your click and scroll behaviour is enough.
- Social media sees you too. Share buttons and embedded content report your visit-even without interaction.
- 'Reject all' is rarely one click away. Settings are often buried in footers or hidden in complex menus.
- One login = many profiles. Media groups link your activity across multiple titles.
Why We Used an Agentic Browser
Unlike static tools or ad blockers, our agentic browser could:
- Read and explain privacy policies in plain English
- Detect what trackers actually load in real time
- Highlight mismatches between policy and practice
- Simulate what tools like uBlock or Brave would block
- Estimate how difficult it is for users to protect their privacy
Read more about why agentic browsers are key to uncovering digital contradictions in this article on their added value.
💡 What You Can Do
- Always choose “Only necessary cookies” if available
- Manually adjust privacy preferences
- Use privacy extensions like uBlock Origin
- Read news in private browsing mode
- Stay logged out whenever possible
Conclusion
| Publisher Group | Summary |
|---|---|
| NOS (Public) | ✅ Tracks minimally and respects privacy by default |
| DPG Media | ⚠️ Promises control, but profiles by default unless you intervene |
| Mediahuis | ❌ Tracking begins immediately, with minimal transparency or consent |
Bottom line: Only one of these six sites truly matches its privacy promises. The rest put the burden on you to opt out-often after your data has already been shared.
Want to Learn More?
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