Survey: large group does not know that services are allowed to hack through the sleep law

Quite a lot of people who were questioned about the new sleep law are not aware that intelligence services are given the power to hack into a suspicious computer through a third party: 38 percent of the respondents are aware of this, according to a survey by I&O Research.

In total, 62 percent of the respondents are not or insufficiently aware of this hacking authority that the intelligence services are given on the basis of the new Wiv. In addition, 31 percent appear to be aware that the services are allowed to share information that they have not viewed with foreign intelligence services. And 39 percent know that a DNA database is being set up, the report shows.

In general, awareness of the Wiv has increased compared to a month ago. In total, 68 percent of the respondents say that they are reasonably well informed about the content. In February, this percentage was still 55 percent. A small minority of people appear to be well informed about the law and its consequences, while approximately 48 percent say they know what the new Wiv contains. One in eight people know nothing about the law at all and 24 percent say they know ‘just a little bit’.

The research shows that 40 percent do not know or are not fully aware that the new law will give the intelligence services the power to intercept data via the cable on a larger scale and in a less targeted manner. Sixty percent say they are aware of this. A majority of two-thirds also know that the data obtained in this way may be stored for a maximum of three years.

According to the research agency, support for the new law has increased slightly since early February. At present, 51 percent are in favor of the new law, while 30 percent are against. The group that does not know yet accounts for 19 percent. If this group of doubters is not taken into account, the ratio is as follows: 63 percent are in favor and 37 percent against. In early February this ratio was still at 60 to 40 percent.

The survey shows that young people are more likely to oppose the new law than older people. Of the young people up to and including 34 years old, 34 percent are in favor of the Wiv. This percentage rises to 63 percent among respondents aged 65 and older. Last year, a survey by I&O Research showed that young people are more often against the ‘sleep law’ than older people.