January 5, 2016
While the “Going Dark” debate over encryption standards rages on here in the United States, government officials in the Netherlands this week released a statement that actually calls for stronger encryption and rejects backdoors entirely.
On Monday officials said, citing respect for privacy and confidentiality, they were staunchly opposed to against any legislation that would ultimately grant them access to encrypted data.
In a four-page letter to the Dutch House of Representatives from the Ministry of Security and Justice, published Monday, government officials made their position clear.
“The government recognizes the importance of strong encryption for Internet security, to support the protection of the privacy of citizens… the government believes that it is currently not appropriate to adopt restrictive legal measures against the development, availability and use of encryption within the Netherlands,” it said.