Government Regulate Online Content in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the government is working hard to make sure people can stay informed and confident in using digital services. It supports projects that help people protect their privacy, improve digital skills and deal with cyberthreats. It also encourages the Dutch to read critically and is concerned about the spread of disinformation. It therefore reserves EUR20m to support investigative journalism.
In addition, the government works with organisations that promote freedom of expression. It does this on an international level through the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the United Nations and the European Union. At the national level, it sets priorities in its Human Rights Fund and supports the Dutch Human Rights Ambassador, who raises the issue with governments, civil society organisations and businesses.
Moreover, the Dutch Government has launched a campaign to teach people about the Internet Netherlands: ‘Stay Curious. Stay Critical’. The aim is to help them recognise false or harmful information and understand how social media algorithms and filter bubbles work. This campaign has prompted many people to start using a VPN service, which provides them with access to content that is otherwise blocked in the Netherlands.
The Internet is a complex phenomenon that combines many different technical and legal issues. This makes it difficult to define a single model for how the Internet should be regulated. However, experiences with other media such as print and broadcast provide some guidance. These lessons indicate that regulation of the Internet is often based on the existing legal and regulatory framework. In other words, regulators fit the Internet into their own cultural context. The idea of using Minitel inspectors to check Internet content is one such example.
How Does the Government Regulate Online Content in the Netherlands?
As far as the legal and regulatory framework is concerned, the Dutch Data Protection Act (Dutch: Wet Bescherming Persoonlijke Gegevensbepaling) and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) (‘the GDPR’) provide a good basis for this. It is important to note that, as a result of the GDPR, the Dutch data protection authority can now impose fines on companies and other organisations if they do not comply with the legislation.
In recent years, the Dutch Government has been increasingly active on the issue of net neutrality. In 2012, it was the first country to enforce net neutrality by law, before the EU introduced a similar regulation in 2016. In addition, the Netherlands has always supported the principle that public services must be accessible via the Internet without restriction. This includes health care and education, but also government services such as tax collection and e-government.
The Dutch Internet is well known for its fast connections. This is thanks to the fact that the country has several large networks, such as the former state-owned KPN network based on telephone lines and the fibre networks being built by OVH and CvdM. However, it is worth noting that the quality of an Internet connection can vary widely, depending on the location. For example, the speed of the Internet is limited in rural areas, while it is still quite slow in some homes with a landline connection.