- A new Dutch intelligence law on July 1 reduces prior approval procedures for hacking, wiretapping, and AI surveillance by the AIVD and MIVD, while expanding powers without requiring new permissions for victims of hacks or justification for tapping large communication cables.
- Oversight body CTIVD was promised 10 extra staff and a larger secure office to conduct strengthened ex-post oversight, but as of late June 2024, neither the office space nor staff have been provided, with no job openings due to lack of workspace.
- The author argues that removing upfront scrutiny overloads the oversight body, making it harder to prove unlawfulness and increasing the risk of abuse, comparing it to a building permit system where vague applications would be impossible to check effectively.
- The European Court of Human Rights has stressed the need for adequate safeguards against abuse in secret surveillance programs, warning such practices can undermine democracy.
- The author, a former oversight official, calls on incoming ministers to delay enforcing the new law until the promised oversight resources are actually in place, to avoid Hungarian-style bypassing of oversight.