this post was submitted on 29 May 2026
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Since the article is in Dutch, let me try to provide a little extra context:
One wonders why the application "used for everything related to authentication with government services" runs on a Private Sector cloud.
I mean, it's not as if a Digital Cloud is any more than a bunch of servers running somewhere with a direct connection to the Internet.
Then again, this is The Netherlands, which is has been ruled by a very Neoliberal right-wing party (in various coalitions) for over a decade so it makes sense that the government there would have even essential software for interacting with Public Services be operated by the Private Sector.
I read (no citation here, I forget where I saw this now) a while back somebody involved saying that their procurement policies require they accept the lowest bid tended, as long as its legally submitted and not obviously a scam.
So yes, typical neo-liberal right-wing mentality is very much at fault I suspect.
Correct. It's the cloud provider, not the app that was going to be sold.
The Dutch government claims it does not have the expertise to host it themself.
Scheduling a doctor's appointment and getting a prescription refilled? I've never used my DigiD for that, nor do I think it's even an option here; it's pretty much all telephone. And as for the source code, only part of the source code was published (as a result of 'Wet Open Overheid verzoek': a request for transparency); and I believe they're migrating from Github to code.overheid.nl.
Actually it is used. My doctor does it but still has the option with a regular account.
Ah okay, so you have some sort of online portal for you doctor's office; where you can either log in using your DigiD or a regular account? That would make sense for a digitally managed system.