De Telegraaf reports that despite reassuring cabinet statements to the contrary, the government will use data from GPS devices to be installed in cars as part of a pay-as-you-go scheme scheduled for introduction in 2012.

The bill submitted to parliament shows that police and the intelligence services will be allowed to use data tracking of a vehicle’s movements when the “security of the state” is at stake, or in case of “the prevention, investigation and prosecution of criminal acts”.

The conservative opposition party VVD and the populist Freedom Party are deeply concerned that the government will gain yet another way of spying on its citizens. De Telegraaf writes that after tapping phone lines and checking licence plates via cameras installed over motorways, the GPS device – which has been dubbed ‘Camiel’s box’ after Traffic Minister Camiel Eurlings – offers the government yet another treasure trove of possibilities.

VVD MPs Charlie Aptroot and Fred Teeven say it’s “A real Big Brother is Watching You story”, and Freedom Party MP Richard de Mos says: “Next thing you know, all the information will be available to the politburo as usual”.

The transport minister says the information about what routes were driven at which dates will remain confidential, but the VVD remains suspicious. MP Charlie Aptroot says: “It would not be the first time that the government uses secret data after all, simply because it decides it’s important.”

However, Christian Union MP Ernst Cramer feels the whole privacy debate is being blown out of proportion. “Our supermarket bonus cards and our mobile phone data mean our lives are public property anyway. I feel it’s quite convenient if my phone provider knows what my daily route is. I may get direct information about traffic jams and about that one petrol station where I can get a one-cent discount”.

Justice ministry to crack down on forced marriages
In a letter to parliament, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin writes that he wants to give the Public Prosecutors’ Office wider powers to prosecute those who force others to get married.

Trouw writes that forced marriages are already illegal in the Netherlands, but the current legislation also has its limitations. However, when a Dutch citizen abroad forces someone to marry them or another person, the Dutch authorities can only prosecute them when forced marriages are also a crime in the country where the forced marriage takes place. And a foreigner living in the Netherlands cannot be prosecuted for a forced marriage concluded abroad.

In his letter, the justice minister says the situation is unacceptable: “Forcing a person to get married runs counter to the Dutch legal order”, and wants to amend current legislation accordingly. The minister also writes that the minimum marriageable age will be raised to 18 for all marriages, including all marriages concluded in the Netherlands according to foreign law and all foreign marriages recognised in the Netherlands.

The amendment is also intended to prevent minors with little education and skills from coming to the Netherlands.

One in five secondary school children depressed
The free newspaper De Pers writes that a recent survey by regional health authorities across the Netherlands shows that one in five students in secondary education are suffering from depression. A small number indicate they are facing serious problems, while many of the depressed children are unhappy about their home situation.

The survey also shows that students in vocational education are more prone to depression than their counterparts in senior general secondary education or pre-university education. Across the Netherlands, girls are more often depressed than boys.

Even though the regional health authorities say gloomy feelings are normal in adolescence, many local councils have decided to adjust their health policies geared regarding young people. Also, the psychological health of young people is a point of special interest to the cabinet.

Web shops customers easy prey for criminals
AD reports that most Dutch retail websites are not safe. Criminals can easily tap internet communication with 88 percent of the more than 13,000 Dutch retail websites.

The data come from a survey conducted by the internet security company Networking4all, which checked all internet shops which use the iDeal system which allows customers to pay directly via their own banks.

Networking4all says it’s mainly the smaller companies that fail to adequately protect customer data, allowing criminals to change delivery addresses or purchase goods with a stolen identity.

Most of the larger companies have adequate security systems. However, the current survey, the third of its kind, shows that several major websites still do not have adequate security, including the NS (Dutch national railways), the Kras travel company and famous theme park Madurodam. Networking4all Director Paul van Brouwershaven says: “When you buy a train ticket online, criminals can see who bought the ticket and what date and time it is for, so they know when the traveller will not be at home. This is a violation of the legal obligation to encrypt personal data.”

In a reaction, NS says personal data are being encrypted with the exception of the “scanty information” including name, date of birth and email address. Madurodam says it is working on better security and the Kras travel company did not react.

Mr van Brouwershaven speaks of a “setback”. The percentage of retail websites with adequate security has increased from 9 to 12 percent, but in absolute numbers, more unsafe (3,402) than safe (782) websites have newly opened their virtual doors on the internet. “Just one major incident involving massive fraud, and the whole market of internet sales would collapse”. The Dutch Data Protection Authority refused to say whether they are investigating inadequate security at internet shops.

Flock of sheep in Maastricht
AD features on its front page a photograph of a group of primary school children watching a shepherd and his dog herd no less than 250 sheep right through the centre of the south-eastern city of Maastricht.

The sheep, which are used as natural ‘lawn mowers’ in several nature reserves around the city, were being taken to their winter accommodation. Twice a year, the sheep make the trek across the city centre. The sheep keep the grass short, which gives other plant species a better chance of survival, and the seeds and bugs getting caught in their fleece helps spread these species and bring more variety to the nature reserves.