Minister under protection for a social media bill

The Belgian minister Vanessa Matz (The Engaged – centre right) is under increased police protection. She has been threatened to prevent her from passing her bill against anonymity on social media.

In Belgium, the centre-right federal minister Vanessa Matz (The Engaged) in charge of the Building Management and Digitalisation, is now closely monitored by the police. This is to protect her from individuals who have issued numerous threats against her. Her fault? Wanting to implement a mandatory identity verification system to use social media. This will be done through an official digital signature application Itsme widely used in Belgium. The aim is both to verify the age of users and to protect them from online harassment. Thus, the minister declared, "I have filed a complaint against unknown persons with the Brussels police for threats and insults". She points to the extreme right and protests: "Some think that freedom of expression allows everything. That’s false and I will not give up on my [bill] project."

(MH with Olivier Duquesne – Source: Le Soir with Belga – Picture: police officers standing guard in front of the Belgian Prime Minister's residence © picture alliance / Anadolu | Dursun Aydemir)