The Netherlands implements the Digital Government Act

The Netherlands has implemented the Digital Government Act to establish secure digital access to government services, providing citizens with reliable electronic identification.

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The Dutch government has implemented the Digital Government Act, which defines secure login to services at (semi-)government institutions.

The act is a so-called framework law meaning that it regulates general principles, responsibilities, and procedures but no detailed rules, thereby providing flexibility for new developments. It applies to governmental agencies and organisations with public-sector links, including pension funds and educational institutions. This proposal will make it possible to do business digitally with, for example, municipalities and healthcare institutions via public and private login means. 

The implementation will follow in phases, with the first phase focusing on improving and standardising accessibility to government sites and apps. The act requires organisations to classify their digital services based on assurance levels, with ‘substantial’ or ‘high’ levels requiring acceptance of all permitted means of logging in and digital authorisation statements.

Obligations regarding safety came into effect on 1 July and encourage organisations to update their information security and use standards such as HTTPS and HSTS.