At a time when many European governments are weighing restrictions and outright bans on VPNs (virtual private networks), the Netherlands’ opposition party has proposed that the Dutch government provide a free VPN and other privacy- and security-focused programs to every citizen.

the proposal

For now, it’s just a proposal, so it’s premature to celebrate. Dutch opposition MPs Barbara Kathmann and Don Ceder submitted a motion on March 2, 2026, calling on the Dutch government to provide all its citizens with free VPN, password manager, ad blocker, and antivirus software.

Although the motion was posted online, TechRadar widely reported the news on March 5, 2026. As TechRadar writes in their coverage, the MPs argue that a publicly offered security suite is necessary to make cyber safety ‘accessible to people regardless of their digital skills or income.’”

This basic security package will be provided to all citizens. There’s no word on whether, if the proposal eventually becomes law, the government would commission new programs or use commercially available ones.

The latter would be much more economical. Surfshark VPN is already based in the country and is one of the few VPNs I’d recommend, as it’s vetted and transparent about its security claims and how it handles customer data (it doesn’t log it).

For now, it’s just a proposal. But it’d be a wild step for a government to implement, an overdue recognition that digital rights are human rights.

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