A new ministry for our digital future
The Dutch House of Representatives has a new committee for digital affairs
The House of Representatives is not equipped enough to access and monitor the constantly new developments regarding digitization.” This is the conclusion of the inquiry of a parliamentary committee executed a year ago in the Netherlands. Existing committees did digitization solely on the side, the issues were only addressed to a very small extent. A new specialized committee was necessary. And a few days ago, this idea became a reality.
According to a recent NOS article, from 22 April 2021, the House of Representatives just created a committee concerned with digital affairs. The goal of this committee is to gain more control over the digital realm and hence, understand the major technological influence on employment, security, democracy and the overall society.
The committee includes Barbara Kathmann (PvdA) and Queeny Rajkowski (VVD), two of the members of the newly appointed parliament after the last general elections in March 2021. According to Kathmann, this committee is essential because, as the pandemic has proved, the digital realm is of great importance not only for entertainment, but also to study and work. Rajkowski’s aim is to work on a long-term vision focusing on algorithms and cybercrime.
This important step taken by the Dutch government, is partly a response to important questions such as: what are the digital rights that we should require and what exact role should the government play within it? How should digital power be regulated and by whom? And how can the government understand both our current and future digital needs? These are some of the questions that our new project CODE NL-D explores.
This project is a collaboration between IMPAKT and the Berlin-based School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe. It is based on a discussion among German and Ducth artists, politicians, activists and academics concerning digital agency, rights of the digital citizens and the digital visibility of minorities. The goal is to influence public policy and define ways for digital laws and legislation improvement. Until 30th of April, you can apply to become part of this project and participate in a discussion focused on bridging to light the most pressing issues we face as digital citizens. So, are you an activist or simply a concerned citizen? Then we hope you will join us in our journey towards a better digital future!