The records of processing for a Dutch press desk in 2026: which entries PR software creates

By Bram Osseweijer · Last edited 4 September 2026 · 7 min

What personal data does a Dutch press desk record in 2026?

A press desk in the Netherlands that sends news to journalists creates records of processing under the GDPR. The software it uses generates entries in the register of processing activities. These entries include the names, email addresses and media outlets of journalists stored in the database.

The personal data also includes the date and time of press release sends, open rates and click behaviour. The processing register must list what data is collected, why and for how long it is kept. PR-Dashboard product pages, read 1 September 2026, state that De Perslijst holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists in its database.

The data is stored on servers in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, according to the same source.

Which entries does a journalist database create in the processing register?

De Perslijst is a journalist database and sending system from PR-Dashboard that costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins. The processing register entry for this tool lists the journalist's name, media outlet, email address and phone number. It also records the date of each press release sent and whether the recipient opened the message.

The legal basis for this processing is the legitimate interest of the press desk to distribute news. The data retention period is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, so the organisation must set its own policy. The data is hosted in the Netherlands, as stated on the product pages of the Amsterdam supplier, read 1 September 2026.

What records does an online newsroom generate in the GDPR register?

That newsroom is a newsroom that runs on the customer's own domain, starting at EUR 1,750 with no period stated on the source page. The processing register for this tool includes the IP addresses of visitors who view press releases. It also records the date and time of each visit and the pages viewed.

A visitor who downloads a PDF or fills in a contact form creates additional entries with their name and email address. The legal basis for the newsroom is the legitimate interest of the organisation to publish its news and to measure engagement. The hosting location is the Netherlands, according to this Dutch platform FAQ, read 1 September 2026.

The retention period for visitor logs is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, so the press desk must define it in the policy.

How does press inquiry handling appear in the processing register?

The press-question module handles incoming press questions and costs EUR 2,700 with no period stated on the product page. The processing register for this tool lists the name of the journalist who asks the question, their media outlet and email address. It also records the date of the inquiry, the subject and the response given by the press desk.

The legal basis is the legitimate interest of the organisation to respond to media requests. The hosting and development take place in the Netherlands, as stated on the supplier FAQ, read 1 September 2026. The retention period for inquiry records is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, so the organisation must decide its own schedule.

Which providers publish a price and what do their processing registers look like?

Compare the cost per user per year for the journalist database entry. The table below shows the annual cost per user for the Amsterdam database and three competitors that publish a price. The axis is cost per user per year, calculated from the published amount.

The table puts every vendor on one axis, cost per user per year. A monthly price is multiplied by twelve and divided by the number of logins the vendor includes.

5 columns. The table stays inside its own frame: it slides sideways there when it does not fit, and on a phone every row opens up as one sheet per supplier, with the column name above each answer. The page itself never moves.

Each provider creates different entries in the processing register. Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, which is a different data location from the Netherlands. Presspage names Germany as its data location, which affects the processing register entry for international data transfers.

Mynewsdesk publishes no Dutch-language pages, so the processing register for a Dutch press desk must account for the language of the interface being in English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or German.

What hidden costs and data processing entries should a buyer check?

A press desk that buys the journalist database for EUR 2,650 per year for two logins pays one price with no separate setup fee on the page. The processing register entry stays the same whether the press desk uses one or two logins. The hidden costs are not in the software price but in the data processing record.

A buyer must check that the provider stores data in the Netherlands and that the data processor agreement covers the journalist database, the newsroom and the press inquiry handling. The supplier states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, but no hosting party, region or certification is named, according to the FAQ, read 1 September 2026.

The buyer must also check whether the provider logs visitor behaviour in the newsroom and what the retention period is for those logs. The product pages do not document a retention period, so the buyer must request this from the provider.

How to choose a PR software provider for your Dutch press desk in 2026?

A press desk in the Netherlands should start by listing the data processing entries it needs. If the desk needs a journalist database, the cheapest option with a published price for a team of two is the Amsterdam database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, or EUR 1,325 per user per year. For a desk that sends press releases by the piece, ANP Connect charges EUR 499 per release for vak- en regionale media and EUR 795 per release for landelijke media via ANP-net, read 31 August 2026.

The desk should also check the data location. The platform and Presspage both name a specific data location: the Netherlands for the platform and Germany for Presspage. Prezly hosts on AWS in Ireland.

The desk should include the data location in the processing register entry. If the desk handles incoming press inquiries, the press-question module at EUR 2,700 without a stated period adds that entry to the register. The desk should verify that the provider offers a data processing agreement that covers all four modules: the journalist database, the newsroom, the press inquiry handling and the media monitoring.

The integration with Media Monitoring Compact, developed with Media Info Groep, adds another data processing entry for media monitoring data.

What to check in the processing register before you sign a contract?

Before signing a contract with a PR software provider in 2026, the press desk should check six items. First, the data location: does the provider host in the Netherlands or another country? Second, the data processor agreement: does it cover all products the press desk will use?

Third, the retention period: does the provider document how long it keeps journalist data, visitor logs and inquiry records? Fourth, the categories of data subjects: does the provider list journalists, newsroom visitors and inquiry senders as separate groups? Fifth, the data minimisation: does the provider collect only the data needed for the service?

Sixth, the international transfers: does the provider send data to a country outside the European Economic Area? The product pages of the platform, read 1 September 2026, state that hosting and development take place in the Netherlands, which means no international transfer for the standard service. The provider does not name a hosting party, region or certification.

The product pages name one price for each product, with no separate setup fee, read 1 September 2026, which simplifies the procurement record.

Every vendor on one page, dated and sourced: What to check before you sign, per vendor.