The federal minister for digitalisation Vanessa Matz (Francophone centrist/Les Engagés) is enjoying increased police surveillance after reportedly receiving threats from far-right circles. The threats followed a discussion on social media outlet X about an identity check the minister wants to introduce on social media.
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Digitalisation minister Matz gets police protection after far-right threat is identified
Colin Clapson
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Ms Matz earlier announced that she wants to investigate the possibility of introducing an identity check on social media. ‘My proposal would make it mandatory to authenticate every account through Itsme,’ the minister said.
Itsme is an app that allows identity authentification.
Users would therefore no longer be able to post on social media entirely anonymously, although it should remain possible to use a ‘pseudonym’, the minister said. Anonymity could be ended when criminal statements were made.
The proposal is being opposed by coalition partners, but also from computer experts. Computer scientist and comedian Jeroen Baert said the proposal would ‘undermine everyone's fundamental right to privacy’. Coalition partner Flemish socialist Vooruit is in favour of the proposal, however, because it would also allow the 13-year-old age limit on social media to be checked.
Posts on X reportedly contained a whole bunch of threatening messages targeting minister Matz. She reported these to Belgium’s crisis centre and it was then decided to increase police surveillance of the minister.
Police protection is not exceptional. Earlier this month, it emerged that Francophone liberal leader Georges-Louis Bouchez (MR) also received police surveillance. Last year, 101 people were awarded such protection.