US tech firms share Dutch regulator officials’ names with senate - DutchNews.nl DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English 23 May 2026 Newsletter Donate Advertise NewsLife in the NetherlandsJobsPartner contentPodcastAdvertiseAbout usSearchHomeEconomyPoliticsArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation NewsHomeEconomyPoliticsArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducationLife in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anythingJobsPartner contentPodcastAdvertiseAbout usDonateTeamAdvertiseContact usWriting for Dutch NewsPrivacyNewsletterSearch US tech firms share Dutch regulator officials’ names with senate May 22, 2026 Photo: Depositphotos.comSee more DutchNews articles in your Google search resultsSee more DutchNews articles in your Google search results Add as a favourite source on Google Add DutchNews as a favourite source on Google Companies such as Microsoft and Meta have shared the names of civil servants and academics working on European tech regulation with a senate committee investigating “tech censorship” or “jawboning”, news magazine Vrij Nederland reported on Friday.The cabinet has described the news as “extremely worrying”, given that the named officials could now face travel bans or even sanctions, Vrij Nederland said.“If you want to discuss policy, then you do it with us, not over the backs of civil servants,” digital economy minister Willemijn Aerdts told the magazine. “That has happened and we will now talk to our contacts, including those in the US.”The cabinet has also raised the issue with the US ambassador to the Netherlands. “We told him how extremely undesirable we think this is,” Aerdts said. “He heard what we are saying and will pass it on.”Junior economic affairs minister Eric van der Burg said the news is “more than worrying” and that he still needs to assess what documents were shared with the US and if they were publicly available.However, stopping working with Microsoft and other US tech companies is not an option in the short term, he told the magazine.Vrij Nederland said the names include people working for the competition authority ACM and the privacy watchdog AP. Researcher Claes de Vreese, who investigates disinformation, is also on the list.Van der Burg is currently grappling with the issue of Solvinity, a Dutch cloud service provider which is widely used by government departments including the Digid identity system, and which is on the verge of being sold to a US company.Under the US Cloud Act, American companies are required to hand over all information they store to the government if requested to do so, even if it is stored abroad.The Dutch tax office is also currently switching to Microsoft systems, despite MPs’ concerns.Research by public broadcaster NOS earlier this year found that 67% of some 16,500 websites used by government bodies, hospitals, schools and other essential organisations are linked to at least one American cloud service. Share this article Add DutchNews to Google Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Copy URL Privacy Sanctions Tech Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl. We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day. Make a donation Latest Show more Dutch agree to ban import in goods from Occupied Territories US tech firms share Dutch regulator officials’ names with senate Two Dutch men arrested for aiding Russian cyberattacks All 27 on board Hondius test negative for hantavirus Minister wants answers from councils with no refugee housing NewsHomeEconomyPoliticsArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducationLife in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anythingPartner contentAdvertiseAbout usDonateTeamAdvertiseContact usWriting for Dutch NewsPrivacyNewsletter © 2026 DutchNews | Cookie settingsHelp us to keep providing you with up-to-date news about this month's Dutch general election.Our thanks to everyone who donates regularly to Dutch News. It costs money to produce our daily news service, our original features and daily newsletters, and we could not do it without you.If you have not yet made a donation, or did so a while ago, you can do so via these linksThe DutchNews.nl team Donate now Remind me later No thanks Dutchnews SurveyPlease help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey. Take part now Remind me later No thanks

US technology firms, including Microsoft and Meta, have reportedly shared the names of Dutch civil servants and academics involved in European technology regulation with a Senate committee investigating issues related to "tech censorship" or "jawboning," as reported by Vrij Nederland. This disclosure has drawn serious concern from the Dutch cabinet, who characterized the development as "extremely worrying," noting that the named officials could potentially face travel bans or sanctions. In response, the digital economy minister Willemijn Aerdts stated that policy discussions should occur directly with the government rather than through the actions of civil servants, and the cabinet also communicated this strong position to the US ambassador to the Netherlands. Junior economic affairs minister Eric van der Burg agreed that the news was "more than worrying" and emphasized the need to assess the documents shared with the US and their public availability. Despite these concerns, van der Burg indicated that ceasing collaboration with US technology companies was not an option in the immediate term.

The list of names reportedly shared included individuals working for the competition authority ACM, the privacy watchdog AP, and the researcher Claes de Vreese, who investigates disinformation. This context is further complicated by ongoing issues concerning cloud services. Van der Burg was simultaneously addressing the situation involving Solvinity, a Dutch cloud service provider utilized by government departments, which is close to being sold to a US company. This situation is framed by the provisions of the US Cloud Act, which mandates that American companies must hand over any information they store to the government upon request, regardless of where the data is geographically located. Furthermore, the Dutch tax office is currently transitioning to Microsoft systems, despite reservations expressed by Members of Parliament. Earlier research conducted by the public broadcaster NOS indicated that a significant portion of websites used by government bodies, hospitals, schools, and other essential organizations are linked to at least one American cloud service.