Dutch PM Bans Phones in Cabinet Meetings

The new Dutch prime minister has prohibited the use of cell phones and other mobile devices during Cabinet meetings to mitigate the risk of digital espionage. "The threat of espionage is timeless. Electronic devices, a telephone, iPad, are all little microphones," stated Dick Schoof, a former head of the national intelligence agency. Under Schoof's predecessor, Mark Rutte, mobile devices were allowed.

Schoof, whose technocratic government took office in July, emphasized his experience in the intelligence community as the reason behind the new policy. "Maybe I have a bit more experience with that sort of thing," he said, adding that cabinet members immediately agreed to the measure.

Erik Akerboom, the current chief of the General Intelligence and Security Service, cautioned last year about espionage efforts, particularly from China, targeting the Netherland's high-tech sector. "We see that every day they try to steal that from the Netherlands," Akerboom reported. The government is currently drafting a comprehensive policy blueprint, set to be unveiled next month, to fortify its defenses against such threats. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)