The Local Sweden

Five things to know about Sweden's new digital surveillance law

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:53:25 +0100

On April 1st, a new law comes into force giving Swedish police extra powers to access the devices and encrypted messages of people suspected of serious crimes. Here are five things to know about the law and what it means for Sweden.

Telenor erroneously collects personal data of more than 100,000 people in Sweden

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 17:06:18 +0200

Norwegian telecoms company Telenor has been reported to Sweden's Data Protection Authority (Datainspektionen) after it erroneously collected the personal data of at least 120,000 customers without permission.

Five stats that prove just how much Sweden is changing

Mon, 22 Feb 2016 13:09:42 +0100

Sweden's number-crunching agency Statistics Sweden has released its annual report on Sweden's population in 2015. From immigration patterns to divorce rates, its figures on life in the Nordic nation might just surprise you.

Sweden set for cheaper EU roaming charges

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 18:13:10 +0100

Roaming charges that currently mean EU mobile phone users are charged extra if they are in another member state, are finally set to be scrapped after years of wrangling.

Ericsson helps reunite long lost brothers

Wed, 13 Nov 2013 15:51:00 +0100

Swedish telecom giant Ericsson last week helped a man in Kenya reunite with his brother in Sweden after ten years of silence, thanks to a technological partnership with NGO Refugees United.

'Gadget-happy Swedes risk patient privacy'

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 18:45:00 +0100

Three million Swedes had their medical journals on an unsafe database for eight months, which has outraged IT security observers and shows how modern technology can be at unnecessary odds with patient confidentiality, warned Sweden's Pirate Party.

Massive data breach a 'national security risk'

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 11:28:00 +0100

Three million Swedes may have had their medical journals available to prying eyes, after a large-scale IT failure affected patients in Stockholm and Gotland.

Swedish school told to halt Google cloud service

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 14:52:00 +0200

Sweden's Data Inspection Board (Datainspektionen) has told a Stockholm school that they must either desist from using a Google cloud service or sign an agreement with the US firm which complies with the Personal Data Act.

Telia leaks customers' private phone logs

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 13:57:00 +0200

Swedish telecom firm Telia has come under fire after the company published customers' private information, leaked their bills online, and revealed lists of SMS and phone call recipients.

Swedes use most mobile data in the Nordics

Thu, 04 Jul 2013 16:24:00 +0200

Swedes are guzzling more than twelve gigabytes of data from mobile devices per year, making them the most data hungry across the Nordic region.

Sweden 'must raise its net freedom profile'

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:07:00 +0200

While promoting internet freedom is a policy priority for Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, Sweden's efforts remain largely unknown, according a new report that concludes Sweden needs to do more to raise its global profile as a leader on the issue.

'The future of freedom on the internet is at stake'

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:12:00 +0200

Internet policy experts gather in Stockholm this week to grapple with online data protection and surveillance issues that everyone who surfs the web should care about, reports technologist Stefan Geens.

Nordea tracked clients in secret 'black book'

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:52:00 +0200

One of Sweden's biggest banks kept a secret registry with thousands of names of people described as "jokers", "economic lunatics" and "gangster accountants" in what is being called a "black book" of clients the bank didn't want to do business with.

Doc on trial for reading private patient data

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:09:00 +0200

A doctor in southern Sweden has been prosecuted for data violation after reading medical details of patients whose parents he knew socially, with fears cited he could have been spying on their children's sex lives.

Sweden green lights 'fingerprint time clocks'

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:42:00 +0100

Swedish employers have been authorised to use fingerprints to track worker’s job attendance following a review of the practice by the Data Inspection Board (Datainspektionen).

Sweden condemns surveillance in schools

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:10:00 +0200

Sweden’s Data Inspection Board (Datainspektionen – DI) has demanded that seven schools change their use of surveillance cameras in a decision it hopes will set a precedent for schools across the country.

Liberal Party addresses treatment of personal data

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:01:00 +0200

Sweden’s Liberal Party (Folkpartiet) wants to make it easier to bring indictments for insults or slander when minors suffer harassment over the internet.

Agency to examine debt among Swedish children

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:32:00 +0100

As fears rise about an increasing number of Swedish children becoming snarled in debt, the Data Inspection Board (Datainspektionen) announced plans for a project to shed more light on the problem.

Government proposes internet access to patient files

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:23:00 +0100

Suggested changes to Swedish medical data laws would allow patients to access their files over the internet.