Netherlands Videos - The Documentary Network

The real value of your personal data

Documentary.net staff — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 15:43:42 +0000

The personal data that is being collected by internet companies has turned into a goldmine. The applications for this enormous mountain of data is endless, from health care uses to marketeers who can accurately predict your behavior. But who is making money from your data? And who owns your personal data? Personal data is being collected constantly. Smartphones send your location data, internet browsers store which websites you visited and credit card companies carefully register your buying patterns. One would say that all this personal data is being used to send you advertisements and banners. But that’s just the start. Your data is not only used to understand who you are right now, but also what your life will look like in the future, because that is where the big money is. Could we regain the control over our own personal data, so that we can share in the profits? Due to huge flow of information, one can tell who we are today and what we will do tomorrow. Can we get control of our own data? Information is collected and stored on your behalf. Via mobile phone and computer, every step you take is saved and analyzed. By companies like Google, Facebook, Apple and Twitter, among others. This precious personal data is not just saved. There are now new valuable uses for your data, giving your personal data the worth of gold. Data centers full of your personal data are the heart of what is called Big Data. A treasure of valuable new insights, derived from your location data, emails, photos, text messages, and more from your digital production. Because your personal data is not only used to send customized ads. Your data is used to predict your future behavior. Through smart analyzes of all your behavior that you leave behind on your mobile phone and computer, it’s easy to find out who you are. And that's not that hard, it turns out. For example, the University of Cambridge just by looking at which buttons you click on Facebook, can see if your parents are divorced, whether you are gay, and so on. Predicting human behavior, possible thanks to all your personal data, can help to design cities better, combat diseases and prevent wars. But if all of your personal data is so valuable, then shouldn’t it be time for you to get control of it? And also take part of that profit for yourself? Credits: Directed by: Martijn Kieft Research: Marijntje Denters/ Jasper Koning/ Chris Vijn Production: Jenny Borger, Hellen Goossens Editors in chief: Henneke Hagen/ Frank Wiering English, French and Spanish subtitles: Ericsson. French and Spanish subtitles are co-funded by European Union.

The breakthrough in renewable energy

Documentary.net staff — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 02:03:57 +0000

It’s not in the papers but a silent revolution is moving across the world. Renewable energy is becoming cheaper than energy from fossil fuels. It means that progressively the choice for wind and solar energy is no longer an ethical one but an economic one. And this will speed up the transfer to renewable energy.

Amateur Armstrongs

Documentary.net staff — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:51:36 +0000

The Lance Armstrong scandal has blown the lid on the world of sports doping. However, a larger problem is at risk of slipping by unnoticed: widespread use of performance enhancers by members of the public. The Netherlands is in the grip of a public health crisis. Officials estimate up to 160,000 fitness fanatics may be doping in the country, risking serious health problems, which "often don't manifest until years after use". As the international market is swamped with products manufactured in underground labs, even some dealers are getting worried. "How big is the problem we will get down the line from these counterfeit drugs? Nobody knows."

A Gift for the Hackers

Documentary.net staff — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:42:15 +0000

IT companies are failing to secure devices connected to the internet, leaving them open to hackers. This report reveals how anything from your pins to your passport could now be accessed online. "Is this your pin? Is this a letter you received from your bank? Do you have a HP e-Print scanner?" The young man answers yes to every question, stunned that all of his information was accessible on the internet for anyone who wanted to see it. And he's not alone: the wealth of information available is staggering. From shop owners whose security cameras can be watched and controlled remotely, to medical records and confidential documents for international companies like Unilever, Orange and KLM, it's a bonanza for any would-be hackers. While it would be simple for the IT firms who provide printers, scanners and software to make the system more secure, they don't see it as their problem and argue that attending to basic safety protocols is a bit of a marketing nightmare. "There are people who know all about how this works, security-wise, but it's too much trouble to explain all that." One company went so far as to call consumers who didn't know they had to change their passwords "idiots". As the rate of technological change continues at a frightening pace, do technology companies have a duty to prevent our privacy being eroded?

The Rise of Psychedelic Truffles in Amsterdam

Documentary.net staff — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:06:45 +0000

Take a trip to Amsterdam to learn about the ban of psychedelic mushrooms and the rise of truffles that contain psilocybin (the stuff that makes you trip balls).

I am Dutch, am I?

Documentary.net staff — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:42:45 +0000

Sofia immigrated illegally from Colombia to the Netherlands when she was 2 years old. Today - 21 years later - she is still living in the Netherlands without a permit, facing the daily challenges of being an illegal immigrant. But she is not giving up and works on her dreams: Becoming a legal citizen of the Netherlands and establishing her own catering business.