Dutch journalists launch The Firewall: platform takes on Big Tech in court and in the press

Saturday, 16 May 2026 at 19:05

Eric Smit lanceert The Firewall Nederlands platform wil Big Tech juridisch én journalistiek bestrijden

Investigative journalist Eric Smit has launched a new Dutch platform with a group of reporters, executives, and tech critics that zeroes in on the power of Big Tech. The initiative, The Firewall, presents itself as a journalistic watchdog that not only investigates tech companies but is also prepared to take legal action against abuses involving digital power, data, and democracy.

According to its founders, the growing influence of major tech firms now poses an “existential threat” to Europe’s democratic society. The platform blends investigative journalism with legal action and explicitly targets companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and other dominant tech platforms.

‘Democracy is losing control over information’

The Firewall opens with a stark warning about Big Tech’s role in European democracy, pointing to a public statement by Dutch journalism organizations and the Democracy and Media Foundation dated November 20, 2025.

That statement argues Dutch society is steadily losing control over “a truth-driven, pluralistic flow of information” due to the dominance of global tech firms.

News production, online distribution, and public information, it says, are increasingly shaped by companies with primarily commercial interests—where democratic values are not central.

The Firewall pushes that analysis further, asserting that tech companies now directly influence:

which information citizens see
how political debates unfold online
the digital infrastructure of governments
ad and data markets
public opinion via algorithms

The result, the platform argues, is a new layer of power operating largely beyond democratic oversight.

Investigations backed by legal action

What sets The Firewall apart is its mix of investigative reporting and legal strategy. Where traditional media typically publish and then wait for political or social fallout, The Firewall intends to litigate against companies or institutions when warranted.

The platform therefore stresses it is more than a media outlet.

“In the Netherlands, this is the first time investigative journalism is structurally equipped with legal firepower,” the foundation behind the platform writes.

The organization says abuses will be investigated “journalistically and verifiably,” after which the foundation can, if needed, engage lawyers to take legal steps.

To that end, the foundation has set up a separate legal arm. According to The Firewall, that split is designed to prevent legal interests from directly influencing the independent newsroom.

Editorial independence as a hard line

Mixing activism, journalism, and lawsuits is sensitive territory in media. That’s why The Firewall emphasizes that its newsroom operates independently under a formal editorial statute.

The organization says the editorial team “works in line with the foundation’s mission,” but retains full autonomy over journalistic choices.

The legal department operates separately, and the board decides which cases to pursue and which law firms to engage.

This setup mirrors international models where investigative outlets increasingly collaborate with legal experts, privacy groups, or civic organizations.

Eric Smit returns to the investigative front line

The most prominent name behind The Firewall is Eric Smit, cofounder of Follow the Money and for years one of the Netherlands’ most influential investigative journalists.

Smit is known for deep dives into financial power, tax structures, and multinational corporations. With The Firewall, the focus shifts squarely to digital power and technological infrastructure.

Foundation documents show the current board consists of five members:

Eric Smit (chair)
Richard Jong (treasurer)
Matthijs Kaaks (secretary)
Paulien van Stijn
Mireille van Ark

Board members receive no compensation for their work, aside from possible expense reimbursements.

Anchored in Europe’s push for digital autonomy

The Firewall positions itself within the broader European debate on digital autonomy. European governments have long warned about reliance on U.S. tech giants for cloud storage, AI systems, online ad markets, and public digital infrastructure.

According to The Firewall, those concerns now directly touch:

national security
democratic resilience
citizens’ privacy
control over public information
European strategic autonomy

The foundation argues that tech companies, powered by vast datasets, ad revenues, and algorithmic systems, have amassed unprecedented influence.

It also warns about the close ties between some tech firms and authoritarian leaders. The initiative aligns with wider European debates on disinformation, foreign interference, and the concentration of digital power.

Early actions target Dutch digital infrastructure

Though The Firewall isn’t fully operational yet, it has already entered debates around Dutch digital infrastructure.

The acquisition of hosting company Solvinity by U.S.-based Kyndryl, for example, sparked concerns among journalists, technologists, and privacy advocates. Critics fear vital Dutch systems could end up indirectly subject to foreign influence.

The issue touches DigiD-related infrastructure and broader worries about cloud dependence on American tech giants.

Crowdfunding and nonprofit status

The Firewall is largely funded by donations and memberships. People can join as “supporters” with an annual contribution or donate larger amounts as “allies.”

The foundation has held official ANBI nonprofit status since November 2025, making donations tax-deductible under certain conditions.

It has also received support from organizations such as Stichting Democratie en Media and SIDN Fonds.

According to the foundation, this funding model helps it remain independent from commercial investors, ad-driven models, and the Big Tech platforms themselves.

Why The Firewall could matter for AI and tech policy

The rise of The Firewall comes as debates over AI, platform power, and digital infrastructure rapidly intensify.

Major tech companies now control large parts of:

AI models and cloud infrastructure
online advertising markets
social distribution platforms
search engines
mobile ecosystems
public digital communications

As a result, the focus is shifting from privacy alone to questions of geopolitical power, economic dependence, and democratic oversight.

Combining investigative journalism, legal action, and a push for European digital autonomy, The Firewall positions itself as one of the most activist tech initiatives the Netherlands has seen in recent years.

There’s no official launch date yet for regular publications.