The Netherlands is rolling its own software and services after U.S. sanctions took Microsoft off the table
When the U.S. imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, it also meant that its chief prosecutor lost access to Microsoft services, forcing the Dutch government to make alternative plans.
The Netherlands is developing its own software and services as a response to the U.S. government's sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. These sanctions left the Dutch chief prosecutor without access to Microsoft services, including email. In response, the Dutch government initiated plans to reduce its reliance on U.S.-based software and services.
The result of this decision is DAWO, or Digitaal Autonome Werkomgeving Overheid, a Dutch Digital Autonomous Work Environment for Government. The program aims to refresh the technologies used by the Dutch government, ensuring that it is no longer vulnerable to foreign interference. The new system is built around NixOS, a Linux distribution, and three service providers – SSC-ICT, DICTU, and DUO-ICT – are responsible for its implementation.
NixOS uses the Nix package manager, which ensures that each package is installed in its own directory with immutable and signed contents, making it easy to reproduce across multiple machines and adaptable to various government facets. Up to 90% of configurations can be carried over from one deployment to another, providing additional benefits.
Currently, eight municipalities are running trial programs, and the first stable version of the platform is expected by the end of 2027. This move aligns with other European countries like Germany, Denmark, and France, which are also reevaluating their tech stacks to mitigate the risk of U.S. government interference.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
