Headlines June
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Australian watchdog takes Philips to court over apnea devices
The legal problems for Philips over problems with sleep apnea devices are not over yet. After the American regulator, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has now also set its sights on Philips. The Australian medical regulator is taking Philips to court over problems that arose four years ago with the Dreamstation, Philips' device that helps patients with apnea sleep better. The TGA believes that Philips imported medical devices into the country that did not meet Australian safety requirements. According to the regulator, Philips has therefore broken the law. TGA estimates that over 4,400 machines were not up to standard. Insulating foam could come loose in the machines, allowing users to inhale foam particles while sleeping. The foam could also block the device, causing it to fail and patients to get too little oxygen in their blood.
Bought off
In the United States, the apnea affair has already cost Philips more than a billion dollars. Last year, users were paid off for a total of 1.1 billion dollars to avoid lawsuits about personal injury. In Europe, there are no known complaints about the machines. In a response, Philips said the lawsuit says nothing about the quality and safety of the apnea devices that are now available worldwide. The company speaks of a "new chapter" following the 2021 recall. Philips says it is studying the lawsuit.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2569757-australische-waakhond-sleept-philips-voor-de-rechter-om-apneu-apparaten
150 Dutch municipalities involved in ransomware incidents
Over the past two years, more than 150 Dutch municipalities have been directly or indirectly involved in ransomware incidents. Ransomware therefore remains the greatest threat to Dutch municipalities, according to the Information Security Service (IBD) of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) in the Threat Assessment Information Security Dutch Municipalities 2025/2026 ( pdf ) published today. "In 2023 and 2024, more than 150 municipalities were involved in ransomware in the supply chain one or more times. These included incidents at service providers, such as a print service agency and cloud service providers," according to the IBD. According to the service, municipalities and their suppliers have not necessarily been the specific target of criminals in recent years. "But due to vulnerable systems and stolen login details, municipalities often fall victim to these opportunistic attacks."
The IBD notes that a growing portion of municipal ICT is purchased as a service. Incidents in the supply chain are an increasing threat. "Ransomware and phishing at suppliers regularly lead to large-scale disruptions and/or data leaks at multiple municipalities at the same time," according to the service. It is therefore important that municipalities make clear agreements with and set requirements for suppliers regarding security and incident response. Municipalities also receive other advice in the report. According to the IBD, municipalities should prevent ransomware, human error and technical failures by applying network segmentation, making current backups and strictly applying access rights. In addition, the internal municipal crisis team should be prepared with detailed continuity scenarios and a clear communication plan to quickly get services up and running again.
Source: https://www.security.nl/posting/890959/150+Nederlandse+gemeenten+betrokken+bij+ransomware-incidenten
Child falls into coma, possible victim of Haribo sweets laced with cannabis
!!! It has not yet been determined that it is cannabis; investigations are continuing.
A child who fell into a coma three weeks ago may have become unwell from Haribo candies with cannabis. The police confirmed that they are investigating the case after reporting by RTL Nieuws . Another child previously fell into a coma from the poisoned candy.
The East Netherlands police are investigating the case because the other cases of the disease occurred in Twente. A police spokesperson cannot say anything more about this new case in the interest of the investigation. It concerns a nine-year-old boy from Zeeland who suddenly became ill on 23 May, his mother tells RTL Nieuws . He was in a coma for three days. Research by the hospital showed that there was cannabis in his urine, says the mother. The child is now back home. The child's family linked the candy to the Haribo recall on May 29. The family says they had the cannabis candy in their home.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) confirmed that it had visited the family. However, there were no more sweets or packaging that the supervisor could test. Since it happened at the end of May, the packaging had already been thrown away. "Unfortunately, that's where it ends for us," an NVWA spokesperson told NU.nl. Two weeks ago, several children and an adult became ill after eating the candies with cannabis. Two children of toddler and preschool age were taken to hospitals in Hengelo and Almelo. One of the two fell into a coma. Haribo called in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg to return the candy.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6358844/kind-raakt-in-coma-mogelijk-slachtoffer-van-haribo-snoepjes-met-cannabis.html
Hundreds of companies have to wait years longer for electricity - and the cause lies in Utrecht
Some 750 to 800 companies, schools and other institutions in Eastern and Southern Flevoland will have to wait until at least 2033 for a new power connection. That is four to six years later than previously reported. This is reported by grid operator TenneT. The delay is due to the fact that the construction of an electricity substation in Utrecht is taking longer. This substation is an important part in solving the problems on the electricity grid in Flevoland. Due to the problems, there is a waiting list for companies to purchase and supply power. The problem was supposed to be solved in 2029, but this will be 2033 at the earliest and 2035 at the latest.
Splitting
A solution to the problem is to split the power grid. Eastern and Southern Flevoland are currently on the same grid as Gelderland and Utrecht. The intention is to create four smaller power grids, but first a new power station is needed in Utrecht. TenneT had to search for a long time for a location for the power station. For example, a location in the vicinity of a world heritage site was ruled out and a location near busy roads also turned out to be unsuitable. Now the station should be located near a petrol station near Breukelen. More cables need to be laid here and over a much greater length. The area is complex and that makes it take longer, says TenneT. "And we are not confident that this location will go without appeal and objection", according to the grid operator. That possible delay is also included in the current expectation.
Companies take off and generate
The delay affects both TenneT and Liander customers. Some 400 companies in Eastern and Southern Flevoland want to take (extra) power and 350 parties want to supply electricity back to the grid.
This could involve schools, an entrepreneur who wants to build a new production hall, but also companies that want to make a fleet of vehicles more sustainable or install solar panels. They should receive more clarity in the autumn. Then the grid operators will know more about what this means for the companies. In the most extreme case, the connection of new residential areas will also be delayed, says director of grid planning Robert Kuik of TenneT.
Noordoostpolder and Urk are not affected by the problem. The power grid here is connected to Friesland, says TenneT. The grid operators want to prevent the power problem from affecting households, so that there is no stop to housing construction. That is very undesirable, also from a political point of view, says TenneT. Households are not noticing anything yet.
Source: https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/430331/honderden-bedrijven-moeten-jaren-langer-wachten-op-stroom-en-de-oorzaak-ligt-in-utrecht
A striking number of fatal industrial accidents in Limburg recently: is there a connection?
In the past four weeks, four people died in industrial accidents in Limburg. Is this a coincidence? Or is there a connection? Earlier this month, a man got his head trapped at a company in Sittard. He later died in hospital. And on Wednesday afternoon, another person died at a company in Wanssum.
No trend
According to the Labour Inspectorate, which investigates industrial accidents in the Netherlands, there are no exceptional numbers of fatal accidents in Limburg. "There is currently no trend to be discovered. Nationally, 2025 is also still within expectations," says a spokesperson. Nevertheless, the inspection will continue to monitor the matter: "If a very clear connection can be found between the accidents, it will be followed up." The inspection also says that it does not publish regional figures on these accidents. The government agency also has no limit on the number of fatal occupational accidents that set off alarm bells. "The number of fatalities in occupational accidents in the Netherlands is between 50 and 70 annually. Every now and then we unfortunately see a peak at a certain location or region, but that is almost always due to coincidence," a spokesperson explains.
An accident on a business park does not necessarily have to be an industrial accident. In 2024, the Labour Inspectorate investigated a total of 75 deaths in the workplace. In 23 cases, there was a medical cause for the death, for example a heart attack on the work floor. Deaths where the cause of death is not work-related are therefore not counted as industrial accidents.
Police or labor inspectorate?
The Dutch Labour Inspectorate also works closely with the police, says a police spokesperson. "If it is an accident on the work site, the Labour Inspectorate takes over. We support with, for example, investigation or fact-finding, but this always happens under the supervision of the inspectorate."
However, there are also cases where the police remain in charge, says the spokesperson: "In the case of a crime. We can usually quickly assess whether it is a crime or an accident."
Source: https://www.l1nieuws.nl/nieuws/2934696/opvallend-veel-dodelijke-bedrijfsongevallen-in-limburg-de-laatste-tijd-is-er-een-verband
'Fake discounts and invented scarcity': Consumers' Association mass claim against Booking
The Consumers' Association is starting a mass claim against hotel reservation site Booking.com. Due to illegal agreements and unlawful practices, customers are said to have paid too much for overnight stays for years. According to the Consumers' Association, the total amount is around one billion euros. "For example, the platform uses fake discounts, incomplete prices and made-up scarcity," explains director Sandra Molenaar of the Consumers' Association. "With these kinds of 'dark patterns', Booking.com influences the choices that consumers make. And that is not allowed according to Dutch and European rules." The European Court ruled last year that Booking.com violated the rules. The Spanish court also imposed a fine of 413 million euros on the originally Dutch company for these kinds of practices.
Popular Nunspeet
The Consumers' Association collected examples of reprehensible behavior. For example, a hotel room in New York for 211 euros did not mention that an additional 75 euros in unavoidable costs would be added. Also, on a random Tuesday, 84 percent of all accommodations in Nunspeet were no longer available. According to the Consumers' Association, Booking abuses its position of power as market leader to limit competition and make price agreements. For example, illegal agreements were made so that hotels do not offer rooms cheaper or with better conditions via their own website.
Together with Consumenten Competition Claims, the Consumentenbond is now looking for victims who want to file a claim. This concerns customers who have made at least one booking via the site since 1 January 2013. Customers of other sites such as Expedia or hotel websites themselves are also welcome. Molenaar says that they too have paid too much, because Booking.com kept the prices for the entire sector artificially high.
First at the table
The amount of money someone can claim varies. It can range from a few tens to hundreds of euros per consumer, depending on the use of the sites. Participation costs nothing, but if Booking.com pays a fee, a maximum of a quarter of it goes to CCC. The claimants want to sit down with Booking.com first to see if agreements can be made about compensation. They also demand an end to all deception on the site. If that does not work, then a court case is possible. Booking.com has not yet been able to respond to the claim. The Consumers' Association has started mass claims more often in recent years due to abuses in a sector. For example, there are still claims pending about overpriced Samsung TVs, privacy violations by Google and problems with variable energy contracts.
Source https://nos.nl/artikel/2572541-nepkortingen-en-verzonnen-schaarste-massaclaim-consumentenbond-tegen-booking
The legal problems for Philips over problems with sleep apnea devices are not over yet. After the American regulator, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has now also set its sights on Philips. The Australian medical regulator is taking Philips to court over problems that arose four years ago with the Dreamstation, Philips' device that helps patients with apnea sleep better. The TGA believes that Philips imported medical devices into the country that did not meet Australian safety requirements. According to the regulator, Philips has therefore broken the law. TGA estimates that over 4,400 machines were not up to standard. Insulating foam could come loose in the machines, allowing users to inhale foam particles while sleeping. The foam could also block the device, causing it to fail and patients to get too little oxygen in their blood.
Bought off
In the United States, the apnea affair has already cost Philips more than a billion dollars. Last year, users were paid off for a total of 1.1 billion dollars to avoid lawsuits about personal injury. In Europe, there are no known complaints about the machines. In a response, Philips said the lawsuit says nothing about the quality and safety of the apnea devices that are now available worldwide. The company speaks of a "new chapter" following the 2021 recall. Philips says it is studying the lawsuit.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2569757-australische-waakhond-sleept-philips-voor-de-rechter-om-apneu-apparaten
150 Dutch municipalities involved in ransomware incidents
Over the past two years, more than 150 Dutch municipalities have been directly or indirectly involved in ransomware incidents. Ransomware therefore remains the greatest threat to Dutch municipalities, according to the Information Security Service (IBD) of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) in the Threat Assessment Information Security Dutch Municipalities 2025/2026 ( pdf ) published today. "In 2023 and 2024, more than 150 municipalities were involved in ransomware in the supply chain one or more times. These included incidents at service providers, such as a print service agency and cloud service providers," according to the IBD. According to the service, municipalities and their suppliers have not necessarily been the specific target of criminals in recent years. "But due to vulnerable systems and stolen login details, municipalities often fall victim to these opportunistic attacks."
The IBD notes that a growing portion of municipal ICT is purchased as a service. Incidents in the supply chain are an increasing threat. "Ransomware and phishing at suppliers regularly lead to large-scale disruptions and/or data leaks at multiple municipalities at the same time," according to the service. It is therefore important that municipalities make clear agreements with and set requirements for suppliers regarding security and incident response. Municipalities also receive other advice in the report. According to the IBD, municipalities should prevent ransomware, human error and technical failures by applying network segmentation, making current backups and strictly applying access rights. In addition, the internal municipal crisis team should be prepared with detailed continuity scenarios and a clear communication plan to quickly get services up and running again.
Source: https://www.security.nl/posting/890959/150+Nederlandse+gemeenten+betrokken+bij+ransomware-incidenten
Child falls into coma, possible victim of Haribo sweets laced with cannabis
!!! It has not yet been determined that it is cannabis; investigations are continuing.
A child who fell into a coma three weeks ago may have become unwell from Haribo candies with cannabis. The police confirmed that they are investigating the case after reporting by RTL Nieuws . Another child previously fell into a coma from the poisoned candy.
The East Netherlands police are investigating the case because the other cases of the disease occurred in Twente. A police spokesperson cannot say anything more about this new case in the interest of the investigation. It concerns a nine-year-old boy from Zeeland who suddenly became ill on 23 May, his mother tells RTL Nieuws . He was in a coma for three days. Research by the hospital showed that there was cannabis in his urine, says the mother. The child is now back home. The child's family linked the candy to the Haribo recall on May 29. The family says they had the cannabis candy in their home.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) confirmed that it had visited the family. However, there were no more sweets or packaging that the supervisor could test. Since it happened at the end of May, the packaging had already been thrown away. "Unfortunately, that's where it ends for us," an NVWA spokesperson told NU.nl. Two weeks ago, several children and an adult became ill after eating the candies with cannabis. Two children of toddler and preschool age were taken to hospitals in Hengelo and Almelo. One of the two fell into a coma. Haribo called in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg to return the candy.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6358844/kind-raakt-in-coma-mogelijk-slachtoffer-van-haribo-snoepjes-met-cannabis.html
Hundreds of companies have to wait years longer for electricity - and the cause lies in Utrecht
Some 750 to 800 companies, schools and other institutions in Eastern and Southern Flevoland will have to wait until at least 2033 for a new power connection. That is four to six years later than previously reported. This is reported by grid operator TenneT. The delay is due to the fact that the construction of an electricity substation in Utrecht is taking longer. This substation is an important part in solving the problems on the electricity grid in Flevoland. Due to the problems, there is a waiting list for companies to purchase and supply power. The problem was supposed to be solved in 2029, but this will be 2033 at the earliest and 2035 at the latest.
Splitting
A solution to the problem is to split the power grid. Eastern and Southern Flevoland are currently on the same grid as Gelderland and Utrecht. The intention is to create four smaller power grids, but first a new power station is needed in Utrecht. TenneT had to search for a long time for a location for the power station. For example, a location in the vicinity of a world heritage site was ruled out and a location near busy roads also turned out to be unsuitable. Now the station should be located near a petrol station near Breukelen. More cables need to be laid here and over a much greater length. The area is complex and that makes it take longer, says TenneT. "And we are not confident that this location will go without appeal and objection", according to the grid operator. That possible delay is also included in the current expectation.
Companies take off and generate
The delay affects both TenneT and Liander customers. Some 400 companies in Eastern and Southern Flevoland want to take (extra) power and 350 parties want to supply electricity back to the grid.
This could involve schools, an entrepreneur who wants to build a new production hall, but also companies that want to make a fleet of vehicles more sustainable or install solar panels. They should receive more clarity in the autumn. Then the grid operators will know more about what this means for the companies. In the most extreme case, the connection of new residential areas will also be delayed, says director of grid planning Robert Kuik of TenneT.
Noordoostpolder and Urk are not affected by the problem. The power grid here is connected to Friesland, says TenneT. The grid operators want to prevent the power problem from affecting households, so that there is no stop to housing construction. That is very undesirable, also from a political point of view, says TenneT. Households are not noticing anything yet.
Source: https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/430331/honderden-bedrijven-moeten-jaren-langer-wachten-op-stroom-en-de-oorzaak-ligt-in-utrecht
A striking number of fatal industrial accidents in Limburg recently: is there a connection?
In the past four weeks, four people died in industrial accidents in Limburg. Is this a coincidence? Or is there a connection? Earlier this month, a man got his head trapped at a company in Sittard. He later died in hospital. And on Wednesday afternoon, another person died at a company in Wanssum.
No trend
According to the Labour Inspectorate, which investigates industrial accidents in the Netherlands, there are no exceptional numbers of fatal accidents in Limburg. "There is currently no trend to be discovered. Nationally, 2025 is also still within expectations," says a spokesperson. Nevertheless, the inspection will continue to monitor the matter: "If a very clear connection can be found between the accidents, it will be followed up." The inspection also says that it does not publish regional figures on these accidents. The government agency also has no limit on the number of fatal occupational accidents that set off alarm bells. "The number of fatalities in occupational accidents in the Netherlands is between 50 and 70 annually. Every now and then we unfortunately see a peak at a certain location or region, but that is almost always due to coincidence," a spokesperson explains.
An accident on a business park does not necessarily have to be an industrial accident. In 2024, the Labour Inspectorate investigated a total of 75 deaths in the workplace. In 23 cases, there was a medical cause for the death, for example a heart attack on the work floor. Deaths where the cause of death is not work-related are therefore not counted as industrial accidents.
Police or labor inspectorate?
The Dutch Labour Inspectorate also works closely with the police, says a police spokesperson. "If it is an accident on the work site, the Labour Inspectorate takes over. We support with, for example, investigation or fact-finding, but this always happens under the supervision of the inspectorate."
However, there are also cases where the police remain in charge, says the spokesperson: "In the case of a crime. We can usually quickly assess whether it is a crime or an accident."
Source: https://www.l1nieuws.nl/nieuws/2934696/opvallend-veel-dodelijke-bedrijfsongevallen-in-limburg-de-laatste-tijd-is-er-een-verband
'Fake discounts and invented scarcity': Consumers' Association mass claim against Booking
The Consumers' Association is starting a mass claim against hotel reservation site Booking.com. Due to illegal agreements and unlawful practices, customers are said to have paid too much for overnight stays for years. According to the Consumers' Association, the total amount is around one billion euros. "For example, the platform uses fake discounts, incomplete prices and made-up scarcity," explains director Sandra Molenaar of the Consumers' Association. "With these kinds of 'dark patterns', Booking.com influences the choices that consumers make. And that is not allowed according to Dutch and European rules." The European Court ruled last year that Booking.com violated the rules. The Spanish court also imposed a fine of 413 million euros on the originally Dutch company for these kinds of practices.
Popular Nunspeet
The Consumers' Association collected examples of reprehensible behavior. For example, a hotel room in New York for 211 euros did not mention that an additional 75 euros in unavoidable costs would be added. Also, on a random Tuesday, 84 percent of all accommodations in Nunspeet were no longer available. According to the Consumers' Association, Booking abuses its position of power as market leader to limit competition and make price agreements. For example, illegal agreements were made so that hotels do not offer rooms cheaper or with better conditions via their own website.
Together with Consumenten Competition Claims, the Consumentenbond is now looking for victims who want to file a claim. This concerns customers who have made at least one booking via the site since 1 January 2013. Customers of other sites such as Expedia or hotel websites themselves are also welcome. Molenaar says that they too have paid too much, because Booking.com kept the prices for the entire sector artificially high.
First at the table
The amount of money someone can claim varies. It can range from a few tens to hundreds of euros per consumer, depending on the use of the sites. Participation costs nothing, but if Booking.com pays a fee, a maximum of a quarter of it goes to CCC. The claimants want to sit down with Booking.com first to see if agreements can be made about compensation. They also demand an end to all deception on the site. If that does not work, then a court case is possible. Booking.com has not yet been able to respond to the claim. The Consumers' Association has started mass claims more often in recent years due to abuses in a sector. For example, there are still claims pending about overpriced Samsung TVs, privacy violations by Google and problems with variable energy contracts.
Source https://nos.nl/artikel/2572541-nepkortingen-en-verzonnen-schaarste-massaclaim-consumentenbond-tegen-booking
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate