MPs from the Liberal democratic party D66 have asked justice minister Ivo Opstelten if it is true that the government has bought German software which is capable of spying inside computers from a distance, Nos television reports.

Last week German software maker DigiTask, which developed the software for the German government, said it had also sold the programmes to Austria and the Netherlands.
D66 wants to know if the Netherlands has bought the spyware and, if so, which departments are involved. The spyware is illegal under EU rules, Nos says.