The Dutch government intends to grant intelligence services greater powers to identify and monitor perceived "opponents," sparking concern over a simultaneous reduction in oversight. Experts, like Lotte Houwing of Bits of Freedom, point to a trend of increasing data collection alongside decreasing scrutiny, potentially jeopardizing citizens' digital rights. Bert Hubert, a former intelligence officer, believes the move aims to revert to pre-2017 practices with less stringent oversight, fueled by current geopolitical anxieties surrounding threats from Russia, China, and other nations. The bill's name was recently amended to include "protection of national security," making political opposition more challenging. While proponents, including Defense Minister Yesilgöz, argue increased speed is crucial, critics warn that diminishing oversight undermines democratic safeguards and raise concerns about retrospective justification of actions. Existing expedited procedures already allow services to operate with limited immediate accountability.