The New York Times and Dutch newspapers have written about Pieter van Oordt, the Chief Privacy Officer who is leading efforts on Digital Sovereignty and Privacy in the Dutch central government. He personally guarded 18 million European eIDAS and Dutch Digital ID's blocking a U.S. big tech takeover (Kyndryl (US-based) taking over Solvinity (based in the Netherlands, UK mother).

Why? Because he blocked a U.S. €100 million takeover by Kyndryl of a digital infrastructure company. Although the Ministry of Economic Affairs formally blocked the U.S. takeover, he left them little choice pushing the risks and alternative solutions through media, proving parliament hasn't been informed properly. After assessing the privacy risks as CPO and managing the CIO risks related to digital sovereignty in November 2025, he advised taking an alternative route that blocked the U.S. takeover by Kyndryl and brought Solvinity back from the UK to EU soil.

He stood up to protect critical government infrastructure, which handles 700 million authentications per year (Digital ID, eIDAS node), 10 million government-to-citizen digital mailboxes, and the digital mail highway between Dutch government entities. The takeover would have endangered privacy, public health, and state security by breaking EU Digital Sovereignty.

His role was undermined, he was excluded from meetings, and a senior state official blocked his salary raise. On January 14, 2026, his request for protection under the European Whistleblower Directive was rejected by the highest official of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior. An expert report by a court expert shows he should have been granted protection as early as November 2025. As court proceedings were set to begin, threats were made by the State Attorney, filing for his dismissal.

Pieter was suspended in April 2026 after raising concerns against top-level civil servants at the Ministry of the Interior. After five months of discussions, escalations, and being blocked, he chose a different path toward the Dutch Government led by PM Rob Jetten. To do so, he had to win the support of the media and the public.

His actions are detailed in The New York Times and within the community he founded (LinkedIn: NDSM COMMUNITY, named after a creative harbour site in Amsterdam). He revealed that:

vulnerabilities in vital digital infrastructure, under the authority of a senior civil servant, were shared with a U.S.-based company;
parliament was given incomplete and misleading information on these matters;
society was exposed to unacceptable risks to privacy and the continuity of government services.
His efforts succeeded: the Economic Ministry of the Dutch government blocked Kyndryl’s takeover of Solvinity BV because it endangered the public interest. This is the first time the Dutch government has ever blocked a takeover by a U.S. digital company.

Date of announcement of the takeover: November 5, 2025. Date of start of numerous escalation: November 27, 2025. Date of social post: March 27, 2026. Date of National News Paper by Huib Modderkolk: Date of Suspension: April 24. Date of Dismissal Notice: May 22. Date of Blockage of the Takeover: May 26. Date of Petition: June 12.

“Digital lifelines need to be protected” says CPO Pieter van Oordt. He lectures on Digital Sovereignty and Privacy and hopes to ignite awareness, action, and solutions. Let’s make things better for the Chief Privacy Officer defending Digital Sovereignty and Privacy.

 
We call on the European Parliament and European Commission to act:

-Protect the Chief Privacy Officer Pieter van Oordt from unfair dismissal pushed by top officials and the Dutch government.  

-Ensure a fair continuation of Pieter Van Oordt’s career, from his pivotal privacy role at the Ministry of the Interior to a save environment at the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

-Put digital sovereignty of vital infrastructure and services on the European Parliament’s agenda.  

-Urge the European Commission to hold the Dutch Government Jetten and the interior ministry accountable.