Does the Netherlands need a minister for digital affairs?
In the media image: Ed Hardie on Unsplash
In radio programme ‘Spraakmakers’, Reijer Passchier, Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law and Professor of Digitalisation and the Democratic Constitutional State (OU), comments on the proposition: 'should we have a minister for digital affairs?'
Passchier argues that Dutch politicians too often see digitisation as some kind of 'magic solution' by simply implementing AI. He says that the Netherlands has ‘found itself dependent on a few US tech giants faster than other European countries', resulting in serious rule-of-law and strategic vulnerabilities. 'We are vulnerable to outages, manipulation, and even blackmail,' says the professor, referring to earlier warnings from the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR), the Court of Audit and various scholars. Politicians and administrators are only now waking up to the risks, now that America is threatening to dissolve NATO and halt aid to Ukraine if Europe continues to push ahead with tech regulation.
If a minister for digital affairs can 'guarantee in advance that he will work on these issues', Passchier is all in favour. But he fears that such a minister will mainly listen to Big Tech. Passchier's highest priority: 'reducing dependency on the US, strengthening European alternatives and first determining what exactly we want with technology – for our rule of law, democracy and the climate – before billions are wasted'
More information?
Listen to the Spraakmakers broadcast on NPO1 (in Dutch, from 10.56 min)