US takeover bid for Dutch cloud firm behind DigiD sparks concern in parliament

ISTANBUL

Dutch lawmakers raised concerns on Friday over US tech company Kyndryl’s plans to acquire Solvinity, a cloud provider that supports the Netherlands’ DigiD digital identity system and other sensitive government services.

Originally a Dutch firm but now majority-owned by a British company, Solvinity provides secure hosting for DigiD, as well as MijnOverheid, the government’s digital mailbox platform, and supports the Central Judicial Collection Agency, which manages fines and penalties.

A takeover by Kyndryl, an IT services giant spun off from IBM, would place critical government infrastructure under American ownership. This has prompted fears in parliament about data security and the Netherlands’ dependence on US tech companies, NOS reported.

GreenLeft-Labour (GroenLinks–PvdA) lawmaker Barbara Kathmann, who submitted the first parliamentary questions, said the acquisition comes at a time when digital services are increasingly becoming a “geopolitical plaything.”

She warned that the Netherlands could lose control over sensitive government data stored on foreign servers, especially under the administration of US President Donald Trump.

“If the Dutch government does something Trump doesn’t like, he can shut down our government with the push of a button. That’s a really serious danger,” she said.

Kathmann urged the government to make “every possible effort” to block the sale.

SGP party leader Chris Stoffer echoed the concerns, questioning what would happen to sensitive Dutch data if Solvinity comes under US control.

"Will we still be able to fill out our tax returns securely? There are some very vulnerable things in there," he said.

It also emerged that Solvinity itself recently warned of growing risks linked to digital dependence.

In a position paper published in May, the company and other Dutch firms wrote that access to government cloud services could “become a tool of geopolitical leverage” and stressed the urgency of strengthening digital sovereignty.

State Secretary for Digitalization Van Marum said the government knew Solvinity was seeking a buyer but did not expect an American firm to emerge as the preferred acquirer. She said the Interior and Economic Affairs ministries are currently examining the “operational, legal, and contractual consequences” of the takeover.

Officials have not yet clarified whether the acquisition can be blocked under Dutch law.

The questions submitted by GroenLinks–PvdA and the SGP still need to be answered by the government.