The Intelligence and Security Services Act (Wiv) 2017 has strengthened safeguards on the work of the MIVD and AIVD. However, the law does fall short on a number of points, the evaluation committee led by Renée Jones-Bos concluded today in a report presented to Ministers Kajsa Ollongren (BZK) and Ank Bijleveld (Defense).
This leads to bottlenecks in implementation and differences of opinion on parts of the law between the departments and supervisors. Therefore, the evaluation committee recommends a number of changes to the law.
The committee recommends that bulk data be regulated in the law in one way. This should include more safeguards for the collection and use of bulk data. This will address concerns in society about the handling of bulk data, according to the evaluation committee.
Furthermore, the committee believes there should be additional safeguards for data exchange with foreign services. The committee also wants a role for the administrative courts. This should adjudicate differences of opinion between supervisory authorities and services.
Minister Ollongren: I thank the Jones-Bos Committee for this important law review. It states on the one hand that the WIV2017 is adequate and at the same time comes up with a number of important recommendations to improve the law." I will work with my colleague Ank Bijleveld on this and will come soon with a comprehensive response.
"I am pleased that the evaluation committee finds that the Wiv 2017 has largely achieved what was intended, namely sufficient powers and safeguards,'' responded Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld-Schouten. ''That does not alter the fact that the committee also concludes that the law falls short on a number of points.''
The Cabinet thanks the Jones Committee for the report and will consider in the near future what they will do with the report's findings.
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