City council interferes with key-'gate' on campus

| Jari Dokter

Several political parties in Enschede will ask questions in the city council tonight about the installation of digital locks in student housing. A group of campus residents is extremely critical of these plans by housing association De Veste.

Volt, D66, ChristenUnie, GroenLinks, CDA, Groep Van Ek/Woltjer, PVV, EnschedeAnders and the Partij voor de Dieren have questions about two properties of these digital locks. The system registers when someone unlocks or locks their room or home. In addition, the parties are critical of the point that someone can only enter their room or home by using a smartphone. The resident is also obliged to download an app. According to the parties, these properties of the lock are 'undesirable'.

A lot of questions

The parties therefore want to know from the municipal executive what it thinks of digital registration in Enschede when residents enter and leave their house or their room. 'Does the Municipal Executive think it is undesirable that only a smartphone and app provide access to your own room or home?', is one of the other questions. Finally, the parties want to know whether the alderman is willing to ensure that the key system is not introduced for tenants in Enschede.

Ethical issue

According to the petitioners and co-sponsors of this motion, it is an ethical issue and not a legal issue. The parties mainly want to express and state that the development is undesirable. They see a house or room as private domain, and it should not be necessary to enter it with a smartphone. Registration does not fit in with that either.

Stay tuned

Sign up for our weekly newsletter.