Dutch experts warn U.S. takeover of DigiD platform poses national security risks
Dutch privacy advocates, legal scholars and technology experts are demanding immediate transparency from the Ministry of Economic Affairs over the planned acquisition of Solvinity, the Dutch company that operates the platform underlying DigiD, by the U.S. multinational Kyndryl, citing risks to national security, de Volkskrant reports.
The call comes from the foundations Privacy First and Firewall, joined by opinion makers, scientists and other experts, who say the government must urgently clarify how the transaction will be reviewed by the Bureau Toetsing Investeringen, which falls under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Among the signatories are writer Maxim Februari, journalist Joris Luyendijk, security and intelligence expert Jelle Postma, internet pioneer Marleen Stikker, and constitutional law professor Wim Voermans. The initiative was led by journalist Eric Smit, co-founder of Follow the Money and chair of Firewall, a newly established investigative journalism platform.
Solvinity is the supplier of the platform on which DigiD, the national digital identification system used by Dutch citizens to access government services, operates. The planned takeover by Kyndryl was announced in November and has already prompted parliamentary questions.
In a letter to the minister of economic affairs, the group warns that transferring part of the Netherlands’ vital digital infrastructure to U.S. ownership would significantly increase vulnerability to outages, manipulation or even blackmail. They argue that under U.S. law, American authorities could demand access to sensitive DigiD data and systems.
Smit said he believes that sense of urgency is largely absent within Dutch ministries. “Eddie van Marum has an exaggerated trust in our former American allies, including the companies,” he said, referring to the state secretary at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. “That is completely unjustified. We must not rely on companies that openly support the authoritarian ambitions of their government.”
Smit added that political caution also plays a role. “Our government does not want to offend the Americans because it is afraid of reprisals,” he said.
Concerns about the takeover are also linked to broader geopolitical developments. Reijer Passchier, professor of digitalization and the democratic rule of law at the Open Universiteit and a co-signer of the letter, previously described the combination of Europe’s dependence on U.S. technology and the strongly anti-European security strategy presented by Donald Trump in December as “nothing less than a state of emergency.” He has explicitly pointed to the Solvinity takeover as an example.
“Technology has become a crowbar in a cynical international power game,” Passchier said earlier. “Our sovereignty and the democratic constitutional state that rests on it are in great danger.”
Solvinity and Kyndryl have reported the planned acquisition to the Bureau Toetsing Investeringen, bringing it under the Wet Vifo, the 2023 law that mandates security screening of investments, mergers and takeovers that could threaten national security. The law specifically targets providers of critical infrastructure and companies with sensitive technologies.
For Dutch citizens, it remains unclear whether the takeover will actually be subjected to such a review. If a review does take place, its contents will not be made public. “We are completely in the dark,” Smit said.
