A growing number of MPs are raising the alarm over the Dutch government’s reliance on American tech companies to run essential digital systems, warning that this dependency could put national infrastructure at risk if political tensions rise, the AD reported on Monday.

Much of the government’s digital infrastructure, from email services to data storage, runs on platforms owned by US firms such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon.

Last week, it emerged the the Microsoft email account of the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor had been blocked as part of US sanctions policy — a move seen by some in The Hague as a clear sign that digital tools can be used for geopolitical leverage.

Barbara Kathmann, an MP for GroenLinks–PvdA, warned that the government’s digital dependence on the US is increasingly risky. “We are completely dependent on the United States for our IT systems, and Trump is now putting pressure on us through Big Tech,” she told the AD. “He could pull the plug or raise the prices. If we do nothing, we are asking for trouble.”

Kathmann and Jesse Six Dijkstra, an MP for the NSC, have submitted a policy proposal calling on the government to overhaul its cloud strategy and prioritise European or Dutch-based alternatives. Some steps are already being taken: the tax office now uses a hybrid cloud system partly hosted in its own private servers.

The government said in January that it would explore how to reduce dependence on foreign providers, but the resulting plan will not be sent to parliament until after the summer.

In March, a majority of MPs voted in favour of a motion calling for an end to the use of US services provided by the likes of Microsoft and Amazon. Under the US Cloud Act, cloud service providers can be required by law to make information available to government authorities, even if the storage is in Europe.

Meanwhile, government bodies continue to migrate to US platforms. Just last week, the lower house of parliament announced that its internal catering service and IT department had switched to Microsoft’s cloud system, the AD said.

D66 MP Hanneke van der Werf also criticised the government’s “lax” approach. “The risks to critical systems are avoidable. This is not about technology — it’s about protecting our national infrastructure,” she said.

Independent cloud

The MPs are calling on the cabinet to speed up efforts to build a secure and independent government cloud. “We understand this cannot happen overnight,” said Six Dijkstra. “But the right steps can be taken now with proper coordination.”

Evelyn Austin, chairwoman of digital rights organisation Bits of Freedom, also expressed disbelief at the government’s inaction. “We have a prime minister with a background in the intelligence services, yet he isn’t stepping in,” she told the paper.

Last year Dutch domain registration foundation SIDN said it planned to transfer the dot nl domain and its “complete ICT services” to Amazon’s cloud services, a move which is also now under fire.