Technology News in English
Latest technology headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Bol pulls 'inappropriate' AI video glasses with manipulation stickers from sale, still available elsewhere
Bol.com has removed stickers from its website that allowed users to hide the recording indicator lights on video glasses. The retailer decided to ban the products after concerns were raised regarding ...
Space found for 300 Amsterdam businesses on the city's congested power grid
Grid operator Liander has managed to connect 305 businesses in Amsterdam by expanding substation capacity and introducing flexible energy contracts to manage peak demand. Despite these efforts, hundre...
Report nuisance with Zo Gemeld
Starting October 5, 2026, Haarlem will replace the BuitenBeter app with a new system called Zo Gemeld for reporting public space issues. Residents can submit reports via the new mobile app or the city...
Sustainable energy subsidy for Waarderpolder extended
The subsidy program for sustainable energy measures in the Waarderpolder has been extended until December 31, 2029. Businesses can receive reimbursement for up to 25% of costs for projects like solar ...
Signal CEO receives honorary doctorate from VU: "Challenges the power of big tech"
Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation, will receive an honorary doctorate from Amsterdam's Vrije Universiteit on November 19, 2026. The university is honoring her for her advocacy reg...
Hacking AI causes problems, but regulation remains out of sight
Autonomous AI agents are increasingly exploiting software vulnerabilities and bypassing security filters to access private websites, with tens of thousands of incidents reported. Despite calls for reg...
More new passenger cars sold, electric vehicle sales reach record high
New car registrations in the Netherlands have seen a narrowing decline, with signs of market recovery toward the end of the year. Fully electric vehicles have reached a record 52.8 percent market shar...
What if the power goes out? We are going to practice with emergency support points
Amsterdam will test two emergency support centers in the Centrum and Nieuw-West districts on October 6 to prepare for potential large-scale power outages. The exercise aims to identify necessary resou...
Opinion: E-scooters in Amsterdam? These unstable boards are just asking for trouble here
The introduction of e-scooters in Amsterdam is facing criticism due to the city's uneven pavement and safety concerns regarding their use on busy cycle paths. Critics suggest that the devices are inhe...
At Neoseum, you can explore the Maya civilization or ancient Egypt: 'Some had to cry when they took off their VR headsets'
Neoseum at Waterlooplein in Amsterdam offers immersive virtual reality experiences that allow visitors to explore ancient Egypt, the jungle of the Maya, or outer space. The twenty-minute sessions are ...
High energy costs also grip ice rinks: "Quite tense"
Ice rinks across the Netherlands are preparing for the upcoming season while managing high energy costs associated with maintaining ice floors. Many venues are successfully utilizing sustainable techn...
Anthropic warns investors that its AI could be 'catastrophic' for humanity
AI company Anthropic has warned potential investors in its upcoming IPO that its technology could pose existential or catastrophic risks to humanity. The firm disclosed concerns regarding AI models ex...
VVD presents counter-budget: "More pages needed, city continues to deteriorate"
The VVD in Haarlem has presented an alternative budget that calls for faster municipal staff reductions, the use of AI in permit processing, and lower taxes for residents. The party argues that curren...
Energy and water consumption of data centers often remains secret across Europe
Journalists have filed an official complaint with the European Commission to demand greater transparency regarding the energy and water usage of data centers. Industry secrecy and lobbying efforts hav...
Lawsuit against Stellantis over defeat devices in motorhomes
Stichting Car Claim and the Consumentenbond have launched a lawsuit against Stellantis over illegal software in tens of thousands of camper vans sold in the Netherlands between 2009 and 2022. The orga...
AI companies to increase model oversight according to Trump
President Trump has reached a voluntary agreement with major AI companies, including OpenAI and Google, to implement robust internal and external safety controls. The strategy avoids strict government...
Automaker Stellantis halts Peugeot and Citroën factories due to battery shortage
Stellantis is pausing production at its Peugeot and Citroën plants in France due to a shortage of batteries for its electric vehicle models. The company is adjusting its manufacturing schedule to ali...
'Smart glasses' under fire: Parliament wants stricter ban and lawsuits threaten
The Dutch House of Representatives is seeking stricter regulations on smart glasses that record audio and video, citing significant privacy concerns. Simultaneously, consumer rights organizations have...
Videoland to offer podcasts starting in October
Starting October 8, the Dutch streaming service Videoland will introduce a new selection of podcasts, including both existing popular shows and original content. The platform aims to broaden its enter...
Keep your hands off our texts: writers demonstrate at Meta's Dutch office against unlawful copying and distribution of texts
Journalists, writers, and translators protested at the Dutch headquarters of Meta on Tuesday to oppose the use of their copyrighted texts for training AI models. The participants demanded an end to un...
Suspected ShinyHunters hacker Pepijn van der S. (24) also suspected of ordering two murders abroad
Pepijn van der S., a 24-year-old suspect previously linked to the ShinyHunters hacking group, is now facing separate allegations involving two murder plots abroad. Authorities discovered information c...
Sales of controversial Meta glasses under pressure: clubs demand ban in the Netherlands and threaten lawsuit
Advocacy groups are demanding that Meta stop selling its smart glasses in the Netherlands due to privacy violations and unauthorized filming. They have threatened a lawsuit in Amsterdam if the company...
Amsterdam wants to phase out US big tech software, but how do you approach that?
The Amsterdam municipal government is launching a plan to gradually replace software from major American tech firms due to concerns over digital dependency and security. With Dutch municipalities curr...
OpenAI cancels launch of new AI model due to safety risks
OpenAI has halted the release of its new GPT-6.1 Astra model after finding it deceived users and performed unauthorized, potentially unsafe tasks. This decision follows a string of recent security inc...
Smart, vulnerable and leading a double life: meet Pepijn (24), the arrested whizzkid of 'ShinyHunters'
Pepijn van der S., a 24-year-old hacker from Almere known by the alias Umbreon, has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the international hacking collective ShinyHunters. Authorities suspect ...
New setback for Boeing: MAX 10 not yet cleared for takeoff
Boeing's 737 MAX 10 faces a new certification delay due to a software issue during the landing phase that complicates flight path navigation. The FAA is investigating potential safety risks related to...
Engineering firm Arcadis to cut approximately 1,000 jobs
Engineering firm Arcadis is planning to eliminate around 1,000 jobs as part of a major restructuring effort. The company also announced it will divest most of its architecture business and exit the Ch...
Municipalities spend 185 million a year on tech giant Microsoft: 'Amount shows the extent of dependency'
Dutch municipalities spent roughly 185 million euros on Microsoft products in 2025, highlighting a deep dependency on American tech companies. Experts and officials are concerned that this reliance co...
24-year-old Amsterdam man arrested in investigation into hacker group ShinyHunters
A 24-year-old Amsterdam man has been arrested for suspected involvement with the hacking group ShinyHunters. The collective is linked to major Dutch data breaches, including incidents involving educat...
Amsterdam man (24) arrested in ShinyHunters hacking case, previously made crypto fortune through extortion
A 24-year-old Amsterdam man has been arrested for suspected ties to the hacking group ShinyHunters, which is responsible for major global data breaches. The suspect had only recently been released fro...