On Wednesday, June 3, PRO Amsterdam and D66 presented their coalition agreement. Amsterdam aims to be a pioneer in responsible technology by building a tech coalition of tech entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, civil society organizations, and cooperatives.
Unfortunately, the plans do not explicitly address how we, as a city, can become digitally independent. Earlier this month, Waag Futurelab, together with Commons Network and Cybersoek, therefore called on the city council to be explicit about technology:
Amsterdam does not want to be dependent on big tech and foreign political whims. In a world where tech companies wield increasing power and geopolitical tensions affect our digital infrastructure, this is a necessity. Waag Futurelab, Commons Network, and Cybersoek are therefore calling on the negotiating parties to make choices in the Amsterdam coalition agreement.
As a progressive city in Europe, Amsterdam can play a leading role in taking control of technology. But the current technology debate mostly revolves around economic opportunities, the business climate, and how Amsterdam can stay relevant in the Tech & AI race. We should dare to ask a more fundamental question: what technology do we want to promote, for whom, and why are we doing this?
Mastering Technology
Anyone who sees how our current digital systems fail will view that question differently. Take the case of an Amsterdam resident who, following a divorce, urgently needed a public housing unit. On paper, everything seemed to be in order. In reality, that’s when the trouble began. His browser stopped working, passwords were lost, websites crashed, and an old phone wouldn’t do what was needed. As a result, for weeks he was unable to apply for housing. It wasn’t until someone sat down next to him every week that he finally succeeded. Eventually, he got a new home.
This may sound like a specific example, but it happens on a large scale. It highlights what is often missing in technology debates: technology that is accessible to everyone. We design systems for a fictional citizen who is digitally savvy, always online, linguistically proficient, and equipped with functioning devices. The reality for many Amsterdammers looks different.
Meanwhile, the arrival of data centers from Microsoft, Google, and Meta has sparked a battle over scarce resources like energy and water. In this way, technology works not for us, but against us.
Digital autonomy isn’t just about dependence on American cloud companies or switching to European software. A city isn’t digitally autonomous if residents, civil society organizations, or small business owners are trapped in systems they have no control over and that deplete the planet. A European platform that creates the same dependence as an American platform changes little.
Responsible, inclusive, and future-proof technology
Technology determines how we live, organize healthcare, interact with the government, and how rights such as poverty relief programs and energy funds are utilized. Technology is not neutral: it can include or exclude, grant or take away freedom, and share or centralize power.
It is therefore essential to be explicit about the values embedded in the design of technology and to structurally involve residents and societal actors as designers in its development, implementation, and management. The city must choose technology that reinforces public values such as accessibility, autonomy, and democratic control. But this requires greater diversity at the design table; not just companies and research institutions, but also civil society organizations, residents, and professionals who see firsthand where systems break down on a daily basis.
From Projects to Public Infrastructure
This path requires more than just projects or temporary grants. A public digital infrastructure is needed, comparable to roads or power grids, one that is shared, accessible, and not controlled by a single commercial entity. Such an infrastructure enables shared platforms and networks. In this way, technology is not owned by a single party but is available as a public service.
Consider a cloud platform or a taxi app owned by drivers and managed cooperatively. Or service providers offering collaboration software, such as Nextcloud—an open-source platform that provides a suite of applications for document and contact management, collaboration, and communication. A platform that the German government already uses on a large scale. There are plenty of companies like this, but they rarely get the support that big tech does through tenders and subsidies, among other things.
We also need places where organizations and residents can go for help when they get stuck in digital systems. A place where someone is sitting right next to you, where your question doesn’t have to be perfectly phrased, and where you can return. Just as we take libraries for granted, we must also take a basic digital infrastructure for granted. This requires structural funding. We therefore call for five percent of the current municipal IT budget to be set aside for a public digital infrastructure
Reliable public communication managed in-house
Such a public digital infrastructure is also essential for how the municipality communicates. Currently, the municipality primarily disseminates public information via platforms such as X, Instagram, and TikTok, where uncontrollable algorithms determine which Amsterdammers see the posts and which do not. These platforms do not comply with laws and regulations regarding, for example, privacy (GDPR) and the protection of minors (Digital Services Act); they are deliberately designed to be addictive and facilitate undemocratic forces by allowing disinformation to go viral. Amsterdam is already experimenting with public communication on the open social network Mastodon, which does not have these issues. Make these open social networks the municipality’s standard, reliable communication channel, so that it can become independent of commercial platforms.
An inclusive, open, and equitable future
Technology shapes Amsterdam. It calls for a vision that balances public values, the economy, and quality of life. Especially now that digital systems increasingly determine who has access, who is heard, who benefits, and who pays the price. It calls for compassion for those who fall behind, determination to break dependencies, and the courage to choose technology that serves the people of Amsterdam. A city that stands for justice, freedom, and solidarity reflects these values in its innovation and technology policies.
Tessel van Leeuwen and Teska Drosten are affiliated with Waag Futurelab. Sophie Bloemen is Director of Commons Network, and Karien Sondervan is Director of Cybersoek.
Previously, the organizations wrote a letter to the coalition