Dutch cloud service "within reach"; MP's demand gov't action amid U.S. concerns

A Dutch cloud service is possible and within reach, tech companies told the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, on Monday. MP’s are urging the government to take action and start the transition away from American services, amid growing concerns about what the ACM calls “extreme dependency” on these companies and U.S. president Donald Trump’s volatility, NOS reports.

NOS previously surveyed 16,500 Dutch government agencies, healthcare institutions, schools, and vital businesses, and found that 67 percent of them are linked to at least one American cloud service. The U.S. has laws requiring companies to share data with authorities upon request or to stop servicing certain clients.

Concerns about this have been growing for some time, but skyrocketed after it became clear that Solvinity, which powers DigiD, will likely be acquired by an American company. In theory, this could create a situation in which the Trump administration blocks access to DigiD if it gets annoyed with the Netherlands.

There is an alternative, tech entrepreneurs told the relevant members of parliament on Monday, according to the broadcaster. “We can supply 80 percent of what the Americans currently supply in terms of data storage, software, or email systems,” Wido Potters of the Dutch cloud service BIT said.

The tech entrepreneurs urged politicians to start switching to Dutch email systems and cloud services. “We demand political action,” Potters said. “Start mapping the dependency today and ensure you start moving services from the U.S. to Europe tomorrow.” According to the tech companies, they could provide government email services in the very near future.

GroenLinks-PvdA MP Barbara Kathmann and the other present MPs told the tech entrepreneurs that they recognize the urgency of the current situation and are determined to take action. “We keep hearing that there’s no alternative to Microsoft or Google, but today we’re showing that there is, and that we can make the Netherlands digitally independent,” Kathmann said.

If it were up to the GL-PvdA MP, the government would start switching to Dutch services tomorrow, Ministry by Ministry. “But we can also do it with the Tweede Kamer, because we’re also on an American life support system. I might submit a motion for that soon,” Kathmann said.

MPs from D66, VVD, CDA, JA21, SP, and Groep Markuszower share the sense of urgency and also want to get started on transitioning away from U.S. tech companies quickly. “Highly sensitive personal data, such as patient records, but also intelligence services, must be addressed first,” according to CDA MP Jantine Winkels and D66 colleague Sarah El Boujdaini.

It won’t necessarily be an easy transition, and there are some hurdles to overcome. Organizations should expect slightly less user-friendliness from the Dutch and European alternatives, because they can’t immediately provide a comprehensive package like Microsoft can. The tech entrepreneurs also suggested adjusting the procurement rules to give Dutch and European companies a fairer chance.