Criminal Law in the Netherlands.

The police ask you to unlock your phone. Ask which action is meant: telling a code, using a finger or facial recognition. These situations are not necessarily the same legally.

Ask what authority the request or action is based on. Discuss this with your lawyer. Do not draw a general conclusion from a loose internet statement about a different method of unlocking.

Jurisprudence regarding a fingerprint does not automatically answer the question of whether you must provide a remembered access code. Let the lawyer assess the specific act and circumstances.

Even after unlocking, the extent of the data search remains a separate question. Discuss which data will be examined and what permission or assessment is required.

Write down as accurately as possible what was asked and what happened. Keep your own observations and assumptions apart. Do not change or delete data to influence the investigation.

Ask your lawyer which questions about access, data search and seizure should be assessed separately. A general appeal to privacy does not replace that concrete assessment.

Read the full explanation on the Criminal Law in the Netherlands website.