Dutch companies try to delay data mining law in court

A coalition of journalists, lawyers, civil society organizations, and IT- and tech companies is preparing a lawsuit to postpone the implementation of the new law for the Dutch intelligence and security services, NU.nl reports.

This new law, officially called the Intelligence and Security Law, is set to be implemented on May 1st. It gives intelligence services AIVD and MIVD the capability to collect, store and analyze phone and internet data on a large scale. 

In a referendum held on March 21st, a small majority of Dutch voted against the law. In response the government decided to make some small changes to the law. A majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, is satisfied with the changes made, but there is still division among parliamentarians about the law.

On Wednesday the coalition of companies and agencies is sending a letter to the government, asking that the implementation of this law be postponed - at least until the changes were properly discussed in parliament. If the law is not postponed, the coalition will initiate legal proceedings against the government. According to the coalition, the Intelligence and Security Law "contains some fundamental problems and is in certain areas contrary to human rights".

The coalition consists of privacy watchdogs Bits of Freedom and Privacy first, the Dutch Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, the Dutch Association of Criminal Lawyers, Free Press Unlimited, data center BIT, internet companies Voys and Speakup, and the Platform Protection of Civil Rights.