Tapping requests up by 30% as threats from China and Russia grow

The intelligence agencies AIVD and MIVD are making more use of their powers to tap phones, install cameras and monitor internet traffic in response to geopolitical threats, the official watchdog has said. The committee that authorises requests to intercept information, the TIB, said it received 4,455 applications from the two agencies last year, a 30% increase on 2023. Personal privacy is protected by the Dutch constitution, but the agencies can be exempted “to protect national security against terrorism, cyberthreats, espionage,...