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    Netherlands blocks US takeover of DigiD operator Solvinity over security concerns
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    Netherlands blocks US takeover of DigiD operator Solvinity over security concerns

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    2. No-Introduction-4621 on

      that’s why identity management doesn’t belong into private company’s hands

    4. Equivalent-Role4632 on

      Letting the US take over anything in Europe in this day and age is madness. Good for the Dutch for blocking it.

    6. BeyondTheStars22 on

      The news that Microsoft handed over information of Dutch civil servants to the US government was maybe the last push that was needed that such vital digital infrastructure really cannot fall into foreign hands.

    9. Massimo25ore on

      >Those concerns focused partly on U.S. laws that can allow the American government to block access to data or demand its disclosure

      So, a country couldn’t even have access to its citizens’ data if the American government block access? That’s crazy, the Dutch did the only sensible thing here. And all the other countries relying on American companies should do the same, regardless of whoever is president in the United States.

    10. Ben_C17 on

      The Microsoft case mentioned above happened in February Dutch media reported Microsoft handed over Dutch civil service email data to US authorities without notifying the Dutch government. That lit a fire under the privacy commissioners, but the underlying issue is the US CLOUD Act, which gives US authorities extraterritorial reach over any data held by US companies regardless of where it’s stored.

      This DigiD decision fits a wider pattern. France blocked a US acquisition of Photonis (night vision tech) in 2021. Germany’s been tightening investment screening rules since 2022. The EU’s been building legal frameworks for digital autonomy precisely because the Cloud Act creates a structural conflict: any US-owned company operating in Europe is potentially subject to US data requests that bypass European legal process. For something like DigiD which is essentially the Dutch national digital identity system that’s not a theoretical risk.

      What’s interesting is the timing. The Netherlands waited until after major public outcry to block this. That suggests the default posture was still to allow it until pressure forced the issue. Whether that changes going forward is the real question.

    15. NamedBird on

      **They could have done this** ***MONTHS AGO*****!** It would have been as easy as a statement like “*This takeover is only allowed to be finalized after we have moved all our physical servers off-premises.*”

    19. RCFProd on

      One instance where ”centre right” politicians selling out their own countries to foreign interest didn’t get it their way, thankfully.

    21. blondie1024 on

      I wish the English government would be much MUCH clearer on Palantir’s access to UK data and how they’re stopping it being sent to foreign servers.

      Well done NL!!! Proud of you. This is a big win.