Netherlands’ New Anti-Terror Law: Security or a Shortcut to Censorship?

By Citizen of Europe august 17 2025

The Dutch government wants to make it a crime to glorify terrorism. Sounds good on paper — who’s against fighting terrorism? But scratch the surface, and you find a law so vague it could just as easily be used against activists, journalists, or anyone who voices the “wrong” solidarity.

Table of Contents

What’s in the Proposal?

Justice Minister Van Weel announced that the bill will criminalize:

Public glorification of terrorism
Visible support for terrorist organizations (flags, symbols, online posts)

The government says extremist propaganda spreads “faster than ever” through the internet and symbols of banned groups can radicalize vulnerable people.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

Why Critics Are Alarmed

Civil society groups are sounding alarms — not because they want terrorism glorified, but because the definitions are deliberately vague enough to mean whatever the state wants.

Glorification isn’t defined. Does posting a photo count? A retweet? Or just wearing the wrong scarf in the wrong crowd?
Terrorist group lists shift with politics. What’s “terrorist” one year might be a peace negotiator the next.
Target risk: Muslim communities, journalists, and protesters could end up criminalized for expression, not incitement.

Source: PAX for Peace

Europe’s Slippery Slope

This isn’t just about the Netherlands. Across Europe, governments are stretching counter-terror laws into catch-all tools:

France: “Separatism” law lets authorities shut down mosques, associations, or NGOs deemed risky.
UK: Counter-terror rules have been used against climate activists.
Germany: Expanded surveillance justified by vague “extremism” language.

Each time, the language is broad. Each time, it doesn’t just fight terror — it puts dissent in the crosshairs.