- cross-posted to:
- privacy@programming.dev
- cross-posted to:
- privacy@programming.dev
A month or so ago, the Netherlands reportedly blocked a US company from buying the cloud provider that runs Dutch digital identity (there is a post about it in this community here).
The more recent news is that the Chief Privacy Officer of the Dutch government, who was behind this initiative, is about to lose his job.
…
For more than four months, Pieter van Oordt warned internally about the risks of the takeover. When these warnings were ignored, he brought the issue to the media, the Dutch Parliament, and the Cabinet. He showed that Parliament had received incomplete and misleading information and revealed that vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure had been shared with a U.S. company. His actions forced the Ministry of Economic Affairs to block the takeover.
Instead of protection, Van Oordt faced retaliation. He was excluded from meetings, his salary increase was blocked, and his request for protection under the European Whistleblower Directive was rejected, despite an expert report confirming that he should have been protected. He has been suspended, and his dismissal is mentioned in a written notice from the Attorney General on 22 May 2026.
The dismissal has not yet been implemented.
…
Someone started a petition (not me), I post this here as you may want to sign it (and maybe spread the word).
The petition calls on the European Parliament and the European Commission to act:
- Protect Pieter van Oordt from an unlawful dismissal.
- Ensure he can continue his work safely within the public sector.
- Place digital sovereignty of vital infrastructure high on the European agenda.
- Hold the Dutch government and the responsible ministries accountable.
[To read the English version of the linked text, you need to scroll down. It’s below the Dutch version.]
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‘Fun’ fact: the US company (Kyndryl) blocked from taking over the Dutch digital identity provider (for about 100 million euro) because it was deemed a security risk, still has Defence contracts with the Netherlands in excess of 2 billion euro (project GrIT).
The reason it is deemed a security risk, is because the USA government can demand any data from any American company. Hence the USA would be able to demand some of the most personal data of all Dutch citizens.
I am unaware of the defence contract, but there is a good chance that this same risk is not a factor there. For example: hosting NATO data, or providing software solutions can both be done without this risk being a factor.
I’m not saying that the defence contracts are smart or devoid of corruption. Just that the risk that was introduced here may not be a factor.
Schoof’s cabinet knew the risks and didn’t act. And Schoof himself was Director-General of AIVD (the national intelligence service) before becoming PM — so of all recent PMs, he’s the one who should’ve read this file correctly. He didn’t.
The Tweede Kamer (parliament) actually passed a motion against the contract extension. The cabinet overrode it. Then Jetten’s cabinet did the same thing again in May 2026.
It took one person with the right knowledge in the right seat to stop it — Staatssecretaris Aerdts, who literally has a PhD on oversight of the Dutch intelligence services.
But here’s the part that should make you angry: Van Oordt flagged this exact risk first. He got fired for it. The analysis that cost him his job is the same analysis Aerdts used to block the acquisition. He was just right too early, and from the wrong chair.
And he’s still being punished. Still in legal proceedings, still without the apology or reinstatement he’s owed.
So apparently the Dutch government’s policy is: do your job right as a CPO, get fired and dragged through court for it — and wait for someone with a minister’s title to be proven right on your behalf.
Amen! The whistleblower who protected the Dutch and European interests, should be protected.
Somebody’s payday got disrupted.
In my opinion this shows that the NL and the EU don’t want to be independent and that they still trust the US. Either Trump is deception or the EU shares Trump’s values.
There are 2 competing factions in the EU and EU countries. The fascist bootlickers who are in on the grift and would happily sell us all down the river for a few table scraps of American surveillance capitalism and those who want a prosperous, thriving and sovereign EU. The traitors need to be dealt with.
It’s complicated. These things are very uneven between countries, and the Netherlands so far do seem like the ones most enjoying their US dependence. This is the most egregious case, but there have been plenty of others recently where the establishment is strongly resisting digital autonomy (and let’s not even talk about Mark Rutte going from “Teflon” to “daddy’s boy”).
Other countries are doing better. It’s interesting that the most “digital” in the continental EU, is also the one most deeply in bed with big tech (whereas German fax machines are already 100% sovereign)
It’s not about trust as much as the NL being a very small and dependent country with a former PM as NATO chairman.
It makes perfect sense even if it’s not particularly desirable.
I am not in the EU, so I can only encourage you to do the right thing.
Let’s go guys, don’t let this slide.
I wish you the best luck with that.
Where is the link for signing the petition folks … let’s make things simple for those that want to show their support to this fellow and the wider case too.
