It really is used for everything related to authentication with government services. Doing your taxes, scheduling an appointment with the city government for <insert anything>, scheduling a doctors appointment, getting a prescription refilled, on and on.
One wonders why the application “used for everything related to authentication with government services” runs on a Private Sector cloud.
I mean, it’s not as if a Digital Cloud is any more than a bunch of servers running somewhere with a direct connection to the Internet.
Then again, this is The Netherlands, which is has been ruled by a very Neoliberal right-wing party (in various coalitions) for over a decade so it makes sense that the government there would have even essential software for interacting with Public Services be operated by the Private Sector.
One wonders why the application “used for everything related to authentication with government services” runs on a Private Sector cloud.
I read (no citation here, I forget where I saw this now) a while back somebody involved saying that their procurement policies require they accept the lowest bid tended, as long as its legally submitted and not obviously a scam.
So yes, typical neo-liberal right-wing mentality is very much at fault I suspect.
Scheduling a doctor’s appointment and getting a prescription refilled? I’ve never used my DigiD for that, nor do I think it’s even an option here; it’s pretty much all telephone. And as for the source code, only part of the source code was published (as a result of ‘Wet Open Overheid verzoek’: a request for transparency); and I believe they’re migrating from Github to code.overheid.nl.
Since the article is in Dutch, let me try to provide a little extra context:
Correct. It’s the cloud provider, not the app that was going to be sold.
The Dutch government claims it does not have the expertise to host it themself.
One wonders why the application “used for everything related to authentication with government services” runs on a Private Sector cloud.
I mean, it’s not as if a Digital Cloud is any more than a bunch of servers running somewhere with a direct connection to the Internet.
Then again, this is The Netherlands, which is has been ruled by a very Neoliberal right-wing party (in various coalitions) for over a decade so it makes sense that the government there would have even essential software for interacting with Public Services be operated by the Private Sector.
I read (no citation here, I forget where I saw this now) a while back somebody involved saying that their procurement policies require they accept the lowest bid tended, as long as its legally submitted and not obviously a scam.
So yes, typical neo-liberal right-wing mentality is very much at fault I suspect.
Scheduling a doctor’s appointment and getting a prescription refilled? I’ve never used my DigiD for that, nor do I think it’s even an option here; it’s pretty much all telephone. And as for the source code, only part of the source code was published (as a result of ‘Wet Open Overheid verzoek’: a request for transparency); and I believe they’re migrating from Github to code.overheid.nl.
Actually it is used. My doctor does it but still has the option with a regular account.