Kees van der LeunFeb 26

RE: https://mstdn.social/@barbarakathmann/116138203723312771

Dutch tax authority wants to transfer full IT control on VAT collection to an American company. Smart move 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️🤦

Show threadKees van der LeunFeb 26
The decision (already mid-2022) to opt for buying software from an external supplier instead of continuing the internal effort by the tax authority was based on advice by McKinsey: https://www.computable.nl/2026/02/24/digitale-autonomie-en-de-uitbesteding-applicatiediensten-omzetbelasting-door-de-staat/
Digitale autonomie en de uitbesteding applicatiediensten omzetbelasting door de Staat - Computable.nl

Daarmee rolde de bal naar een oplossing die op gespannen voet staat met het Europese streven naar digitale autonomie. Een reconstructie van die besluitvorming op basis van openbare bronnen en met aandacht voor de geopolitieke situatie.

Computable.nl
Show threadKees van der Leun
Letting this happen would put control over the inflow of €1.5 billion per week to the Dutch government in the hands of a US company. That might be tempting leverage for the Trump regime.
Feb 27 at 6:11amWeb
Show threadKees van der LeunFeb 27
To get an impression of how Trump's department of war sees the role of US companies, have a look at its present pressure on Anthropic. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administration-is-trying-to-make-an-example-of-the-ai-giant-anthropic/
The Trump Administration Is Trying to Make an Example of the AI Giant Anthropic

The Pentagon is making unprecedented threats against the popular AI service Claude in the name of national security.

Center for American Progress
Show threadRene GatFeb 27
@Sustainable2050 Therefore: #digitalindependenceday #stopenshittification #postamericaninternet
Show threadRene GatFeb 27
@Sustainable2050 Therefore: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/26/how-to-replace-amazon-google-x-meta-apple-alternatives
Leave big tech behind! How to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, Apple – and more

A handful of companies monopolise the web, with unprecedented access to our data. But there are many more ethical – and often distinctively European – alternatives

The Guardian
Show threadChewieFeb 27

@ahm42 @Sustainable2050

Lame, they mention Mastodon, but don't link to it, unlike the other social media systems they list, and they link to "W Social", which doesn't even fucking exist yet.