Policy Observatory

The new Dutch surveillance law will be voted on in a non-legally binding referendum. On March 21 2018 the referendum will be held together with the municipal elections. A campaign demanding the referendum resulted in 384.000 valid signatures on a new law governing surveillance activities in the Netherlands. The law has already passed the two chambers of Dutch parliament and is bound to come into force during the first half of 2018. Nevertheless, the so-called “Dragnet law” (Sleepwet) was subject to a large and on-going public discussion. Despite the fact that a potential “no” to the law will not result in a formal withdrawal of the law, political pressure on the government to reconsider the bill would rise significantly.