Smart device sometimes stupid: special law must offer a solution Inland

Almost three-quarters of the Dutch now have smart devices in their home, but they are sometimes sensitive to hackers. Also because consumers handle the devices carelessly and forget to perform the security updates or even turn them off. They find it hassle or take too much time, while hackers are lurking to break into the devices.

Keijzer therefore intervenes. She comes up with a law that obliges sellers to continue to provide the security updates. This makes it safe for people to use the smart devices for longer. How long the vendors should continue to offer the updates depends on the cost of a device: the more expensive, the longer the update obligation. The law will also apply to streaming services such as Spotify or Netflix or games.

The law is in line with a campaign that the government launched earlier this year to alert people to the safety risks of smart devices. Keijzer: “I want consumers and entrepreneurs to better protect themselves against internet criminals. But just more awareness and actually performing updates is not enough. That is why the cabinet will now legally arrange that sellers be obliged to provide these updates as long as you can expect that as a consumer. ”

Minimum requirements

The State Secretary will also work in Europe for minimum requirements for manufacturers of smart devices. In doing so, she wants to prevent the makers from already supplying unsafe products.

“This way, unsafe smart devices can be taken off the market and banned,” says Keijzer. “Many devices use poorly secured connections and default settings that are not secure. And if your smart device is vulnerable, so are you as a consumer. So we’re not just working on people awareness, and on extra protection by requiring vendors to provide updates. We also ensure that manufacturers start making safer devices. ”

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