The Ajax-Maccabi incident in November 2024 was not the first public order disturbance where messages on social media played an inciting role. As early as 2012, Project X caused quite a stir. What began as an innocent invitation for a birthday party on Facebook ended up in an emergency ordinance, the evacuation of a family, and the deployment of the mobile unit in a village in Groningen. Since then, there have been more public order disturbances initiated or exacerbated by messages on social media. How can our society counter such unsafe situations?
Complex Issue
The answer to that question is not easy, says Daniela Aben, senior policy officer at the Ministry of Justice and Security.
“It is an issue with many different facets. On social media, everyone has the freedom to share their opinions, even anonymously; that is an important right. But it can also lead to problems such as the curfew riots during the pandemic or disturbances around street races. The dilemma is: how do we protect online freedoms without leading to dangerous situations? What can citizens and businesses do, and what do you expect from the government? The Ministry of Justice and Security wants to discuss this with people from all over the Netherlands.”
About 100,000 random Dutch citizens will receive an invitation in March to sign up for the dialogue. From all the applications, an independent bureau will draw 150 participants of various ages and backgrounds.
Daniela Aben: “The more differences, the better. So that the group forms as accurate a reflection of the population as possible and various ideas, opinions, and experiences can be shared and gathered.”
Exploring and Discussing
The citizen dialogue consists of three national meetings and an online session, between mid-May and early July. Participants do not need to have prior knowledge of the subject. During the meetings, they will learn more about it. Experts will be present; these can be internet professionals, lawyers, and police, but also former rioters. After that, the participants will engage in discussions, guided by experienced moderators. Participants will have the opportunity to influence the process themselves.
Outcomes and Policy Formation
The citizen dialogue will be facilitated by an external advisory agency. The outcomes of the dialogue will be shared with the Minister of Justice and Security and other stakeholders, so that they can be incorporated into policy formation.
Daniela Aben: “The citizen dialogue offers people the opportunity to influence important issues that affect society as a whole. For the government, a citizen dialogue is a relatively new but promising way to involve citizens more directly in policy formation.”