Dutch referendum on the renewed Law on the intelligence and security services

Community Tech Policy & News
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The renewed Law on the intelligence and security services, also known as sleepwet, gives an extension of the resources that the intelligence services (AIVD and MIVD) are allowed to use.

The biggest changes are:

  • There should be a so-called “drag net” to be used to massively eavesdrop on online communication , even of non-suspect citizens. So an entire area should be monitored when there is a suspicious person living in that area.

  • All of the automated devices can be hacked. For example, think of your phone, computer or smart tv.

  • A secret DNA database wil be created where everyone’s DNA can/will be stored.

  • Collected data is allowed to be shared with foreign intelligence agencies , without first analyzing the data.

Institutions such as the Council of State, the Scientific Council for Government policy, the Dutch Association of Journalists and several scientists have shared their concerns about this law. The law was adopted is on July 11 2017 by the Dutch senate.

Request referendum

This website is set up to request a referendum to make life easier. This initiative has arisen as there are lots of negative feelings exist about this law under the Dutch. This is no single authority or political movement. Because the sleepwet has such major implications for the freedom of citizens, we can not let this pass without a referendum by the people.

For a successful application we need to serve up to 300,000 signatures to be picked up before 16 October. These requests can form be sent by mail. To help you and to stamps to save, we have our own form designed. We will then print the paper version of the kiesraadformulier and hand over to the electoral council. This form is available until 12 October.

Source : https://sleepwet.nl/
Law article: https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-34588-A.html

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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Digital privacy advocates who hope to force the repeal of a law giving Dutch intelligence agencies new surveillance powers said on Monday they have gathered enough signatures to demand a referendum.

A range of activists, politicians and media groups oppose the law, which passed by a healthy margin in July and gives agencies the power to gather data covertly from large groups of people at once.

The petition for a referendum must now be submitted to the Voting Commission to vet whether it has met the 300,000 signature threshold.

If it has, the government is obliged to hold a non-binding referendum on whether the law should be upheld, likely together with municipal elections on March 21.

“You cross the line when large groups of innocent civilians can be dragged into the sights of secret services with a trawling net,” said David Korteweg, a lawyer for online rights group Bits of Freedom, in a statement.

The government argues that the expanded powers are needed for spy agencies to counter threats to national security and their use can be tested by an oversight panel.

The referendum law is itself controversial and may be repealed.

After it was passed in 2015 its first use was to block the Dutch government from ratifying an economic treaty it and other European Union countries had negotiated with Ukraine.

Source https://www.reuters.com/article/us-netherlands-referendum-intelligence/referendum-likely-on-dutch-tapping-law-idUSKBN1CE1R5?il=0