A new bill to control the transmitted data in the Netherlands is submitted for public consultation until 1 September, Matthijs R. Koot, a technical security consultant wrote in his blog.

The Dutch government proposed to change the current law known as the Dutch Intelligence & Security Act of 2002 (aka “Wiv2002″). The new bill enhances the authorities' control over the data transfer, Koot claims in his blog post. It is proposed to transfer the collection of data over to the Joint Sigint Cyber Unit (JSCU), which was created a year ago. The JSCU will liaise with the Dutch Ministry of Defence and other authorities to carry out the intelligence tasks. 

“Roughly put, the DCC is the Dutch equivalent to USCYBERCOM, and the JSCU is the Dutch equivalent to the NSA,” Koot wrote.

The interception of data proposed in the new bill consists of information collection, processing, and analysis and requires cooperation between communication service providers, including website operators and hosting providers. The interception, however, is subject to the Minister’s approval and must be purpose-orientated with the purpose outlined as specifically as possible. 

The bill is aimed at cybercrime prevention. It authorises the intelligence services to request decrypted data or the cryptographic keys from individuals and to use hacking powers, including hacking a third-party system, and apply automated data analysis. According to Koot, the Dutch government is planning to release another bill in the autumn that will grant police hacking power. 

The new bill may affect the anonymity of the bitcoin ecosystem but on the other hand it can help protect users from fraud and enhance security. Since the bill is open for public consultation the Dutch bitcoin-community has a chance to comment on the possible consequences for bitcoin users. 

Earlier, CoinFox reported on the tensions surrounding the court appeal of bitcoin status in the Netherlands. A Netherlands-based company, CoverYou was the first insurance agency in Europe to accept bitcoin payments for electronic device cover.

Aliona Chapel