2023-03-292022/23:KU27 · p.7KUConstitution
Restrict searchability concerning certain personal data
Restricting the searchability of sensitive personal data in databases
What's at stake: The outcome affects how easily sensitive information about individuals - such as criminal convictions or involuntary psychiatric care - can be found via searchable web services, and thus concerns the balance between freedom of the press and expression and the protection of personal privacy.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether new legislation should be drawn up to restrict the constitutionally protected searchability of sensitive personal data in databases, or whether the matter should await further processing within the Government Offices.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the trend of privacy-infringing search services has gone in the direction it previously warned against and that adequate protection is needed, but considers that the proposals put forward so far cannot form the basis for legislative amendments. The committee expects the government to continue working on the issue and therefore rejects the motion.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 8 (S, V, MP)
The reserving parties want new legislation to be drawn up that limits the constitutional protection for the most privacy-sensitive search services, pointing out that databases containing criminal and care records violate individuals' privacy, can be used by criminals to profile people, and have drawn EU criticism against Sweden that could ultimately lead to a fine.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 8 by S, V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/14 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 64/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2022/23:2166 by Ida Karkiainen et al. (S) Claim 9.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2022/23:2166 av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S) yrkande 9.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 30 proposals in motions submitted during the general motion period 2022. The proposals concerned, for example, the security of opinion formers and media companies, where the Riksdag refers to ongoing work and to measures already implemented. For the same reasons, the committee proposes rejection of, among other things, proposals concerning whistleblower protection, freedom of expression on the internet, regulation of tech giants and state support for the media.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants a new strategy against threats and hate targeting journalists, opinion leaders, politicians and cultural workers to be developed. (S, V, MP) — Reservation 8
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The party programme states that everyone has the right to a broad private sphere and that growing surveillance and registration should be counteracted as part of a deepened democracy.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that everyone has the right to a broad private sphere and that growing surveillance and registration should be counteracted as part of a deepened democracy. Search services that collect crime and healthcare records are precisely such mapping of individuals, which is why a limitation of their constitutional protection follows from the integrity commitment. At the same time, the plan safeguards freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which means the limitation must be narrowly tailored.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att alla har rätt till en bred privat sfär och att växande övervakning och registrering ska motverkas som en del av en fördjupad demokrati. Söktjänster som samlar brotts- och vårduppgifter är just sådan kartläggning av enskilda, varför en begränsning av deras grundlagsskydd följer av integritetsåtagandet. Samtidigt värnar planen tryck- och yttrandefriheten, vilket gör att begränsningen måste träffa snävt.
- right to private sphereweak support»Alla människor har rätt till en bred privat sfär« (party programme ↗)“All people have the right to a broad private sphere”
- counteract surveillance and registrationdecisive»registrering ska motverkas« (party programme ↗)“registration should be counteracted”
- personal integrity in the legal state»En fördjupad demokrati innebär också att vi slår vakt om den« (party programme ↗)“A deepened democracy also means that we safeguard the”
- safeguarded press freedom»föreningsfriheten, yttrande- och tryckfriheten, offentlighetsprincipen« (party programme ↗)“freedom of association, freedom of expression and the press, the principle of public access”
flags: citat_svagt
The programme establishes that it is society's absolute duty to protect personal integrity and explicitly warns that technology is used to map individuals' interests and habits.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The programme establishes that it is society's absolute duty to protect personal integrity and explicitly warns that technology is used to map individuals' interests and habits. Search services that publish crime and care records are exactly such mapping, which supports the counter-proposal's requirement to limit basic law protection for them. At the same time, the plan values media freedom, so any restriction must affect only the most privacy-sensitive services.
Original (Swedish)
Programmet slår fast att det är samhällets absoluta skyldighet att skydda den personliga integriteten och varnar uttryckligen för att tekniken används för att kartlägga enskildas intressen och vanor. Söktjänster som publicerar brotts- och vårduppgifter är just sådan kartläggning, vilket bär motförslagets krav på att begränsa grundlagsskyddet för dem. Samtidigt värnar planen mediernas frihet, så begränsningen måste träffa endast de mest integritetskänsliga tjänsterna.
- protection for personal integritydecisive»Det är samhällets absoluta skyldighet att skydda friheten och den personliga integriteten« (party programme ↗)“It is society's absolute duty to protect freedom and personal integrity”
- counter mapping of individuals»kommersiella och andra aktörer använder tekniken för att kartlägga den enskildes intressen« (party programme ↗)“commercial and other actors use technology to map the individual's interests”
- prevent violations on the net»att förhindra att nätet används för förtal, hets mot folkgrupp, kränkningar av enskilda« (party programme ↗)“to prevent the net being used for defamation, incitement against groups, violations of individuals”
- valued media freedom»Vi socialdemokrater slår vakt om oberoendet och friheten för public service-kanalerna« (party programme ↗)“We Social Democrats stand guard for the independence and freedom of public service channels”
The party programme establishes that the right to privacy and personal integrity today is threatened by both state and commercial actors and that no improper registration shall occur.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that the right to privacy and personal integrity today is threatened by both state and commercial actors and that no improper registration shall occur. Search services that collect crime and healthcare information are precisely a commercial mapping of individuals, which is why the plan speaks for limiting their constitutional protection. The plan simultaneously wants to protect the constitution against rapid changes, which calls for caution in the design.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att rätten till integritet och privatliv i dag är hotad av både statliga och kommersiella aktörer och att ingen otillbörlig registrering får förekomma. Söktjänster som samlar brotts- och vårduppgifter är just en kommersiell kartläggning av enskilda, varför planen talar för att begränsa deras grundlagsskydd. Planen vill samtidigt värna grundlagen mot snabba förändringar, vilket manar till varsamhet i utformningen.
- integrity threatened by commercial actorsdecisive»privatliv. I dag är den rätten hotad av både statliga« (party programme ↗)“privacy. Today that right is threatened by both state”
- protect integrity and privacy»Vi vill värna människors rätt till integritet och« (party programme ↗)“We want to protect people's right to integrity and”
- no improper registration»otillbörlig registrering eller övervakning baserad på« (party programme ↗)“improper registration or surveillance based on”
- caution with the constitution»skydda Sveriges grundlag mot snabba förändringar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect Sweden's constitution against rapid changes.”
The party programme requires protection against both state and private intrusions into people's privacy and that all legislation be tested for proportionality against personal integrity.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires protection against both state and private intrusions into people's privacy and that all legislation be tested for proportionality against personal integrity. Search services that spread crime and medical records are precisely such a private intrusion, so the plan speaks for limiting their protection. The plan at the same time values freedom of expression and information, which makes the balance delicate but does not eliminate privacy protection.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver skydd mot både statliga och privata ingrepp i människors privatliv och att all lagstiftning prövas mot proportionalitet gentemot den personliga integriteten. Söktjänster som sprider brotts- och vårduppgifter är just ett privat ingrepp av det slaget, varför planen talar för att begränsa deras skydd. Planen värnar samtidigt yttrande- och informationsfriheten, vilket gör avvägningen känslig men inte upphäver integritetsskyddet.
- protection against private intrusionsdecisive»ett skydd mot både statliga och privata ingrepp i människors privatliv« (party programme ↗)“protection against both state and private intrusions into people's privacy”
- proportionality testingweak support»All lagstiftning bör prövas mot dess påverkan på människors personliga integritet.« (party programme ↗)“All legislation should be tested against its impact on people's personal integrity.”
- strong privacy protection»Ett starkt integritetsskydd är därför en omistlig del av ett öppet och demokratiskt samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“Strong privacy protection is therefore an indispensable part of an open and democratic society.”
- rule of law online»Hot och kränkningar är lika oacceptabla på internet som i andra sammanhang.« (party programme ↗)“Threats and harassment are just as unacceptable on the internet as in other contexts.”
flags: citat_svagt
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme states that protection of the individual's integrity shall be strengthened and that surveillance and registration shall not be used for purposes other than the original motives or what the individual knew about when the information was provided.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that protection of the individual's integrity shall be strengthened and that surveillance and registration shall not be used for purposes other than the original motives or what the individual knew about when the information was provided. Search services that collect crime and care information in searchable databases are precisely such secondary use. The plan's strong defense of freedom of the press and speech pulls in the other direction, which makes the position derived rather than stated.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att skyddet för den enskildes integritet ska stärkas och att övervakning och registrering inte får användas för andra syften än de ursprungliga motiven eller vad den enskilde kände till när uppgifterna lämnades. Söktjänster som samlar brotts- och vårduppgifter i sökbara databaser är precis en sådan sekundäranvändning. Planens starka försvar av tryck- och yttrandefriheten drar åt andra hållet, vilket gör ställningstagandet härlett snarare än uttalat.
- information only for original purposedecisive»Övervakning och registrering ska inte användas för andra syften än vad som var de ursprungliga motiven« (party programme ↗)“Surveillance and registration shall not be used for purposes other than what were the original motives”
- strengthened integrity protection»Skyddet för den enskildes integritet ska stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of the individual's integrity shall be strengthened.”
- insight into personal data handling»Den enskilde ska ha vidsträckta möjligheter att få insyn i hur de egna personuppgifterna hanteras« (party programme ↗)“The individual shall have extensive possibilities to gain insight into how their own personal information is handled”
- strong freedom of expression weighs against»Tryck- och yttrandefrihetslagstiftningen har en unik och stark reglering« (party programme ↗)“The freedom of the press and freedom of speech legislation has a unique and strong regulation”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan requires that personal integrity has strong constitutional protection and that interference with the protected sphere every person should be guaranteed is a violation.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that personal integrity has strong constitutional protection and that interference with the protected sphere every person should be guaranteed is a violation. Search services that collect crime and care information to map individual encounters hit precisely this. The plan simultaneously values freedom of expression and freedom of communication, but integrity protection carries the position on this issue.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att den personliga integriteten har ett starkt grundlagsskydd och att intrång i den fredade sfär varje person bör vara garanterad är en kränkning. Söktjänster som samlar brotts- och vårduppgifter för kartläggning av enskilda träffar precis detta. Planen värnar samtidigt yttrande- och meddelarfriheten, men integritetsskyddet bär ställningstagandet i denna fråga.
- strong integrity protectiondecisive»Den personliga integriteten ska ha ett starkt« (party programme ↗)“Personal integrity must have strong”
- protection of the protected sphere»Intrång i den fredade sfär som varje person bör« (party programme ↗)“Interference with the protected sphere that every person should”
- personal freedom and integrity»rätten till liv, personlig frihet« (party programme ↗)“the right to life, personal freedom”
- strong freedom of expression»Ett starkt skydd för yttrande- och meddelarfriheten« (party programme ↗)“Strong protection for freedom of expression and freedom of communication”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme states that personal integrity shall be protected against intrusion into privacy, and the manifesto wants to strengthen the protection of citizens' freedoms and rights in the constitution.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that personal integrity shall be protected against intrusion into privacy, and the manifesto wants to strengthen the protection of citizens' freedoms and rights in the constitution. Databases that collect crime and healthcare information for profiling of individuals are exactly such an intrusion. The plan therefore speaks in favour of limiting constitutional protection for the most privacy-sensitive search services, although the balance against freedom of expression is not addressed.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att den personliga integriteten ska värnas mot intrång i privatlivets helgd, och manifestet vill stärka skyddet för medborgarnas fri- och rättigheter i grundlagen. Databaser som samlar brotts- och vårduppgifter för kartläggning av enskilda är just ett sådant intrång. Planen talar därför för att grundlagsskyddet för de mest integritetskänsliga söktjänsterna begränsas, även om avvägningen mot yttrandefriheten inte behandlas.
- personal integrity protecteddecisive»Den personliga integriteten ska värnas, såväl från intrång« (party programme ↗)“Personal integrity shall be protected, both from intrusion”
- stronger rights protection»Stärka domstolarnas oberoende och skyddet för medborgarnas fri- och rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the independence of courts and the protection of citizens' freedoms and rights”
- constitutional protection for individuals»Vår svenska grundlag ska ha en tydlig katalog av fri- och rättigheter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our Swedish constitution shall have a clear catalogue of freedoms and rights.”
- freedom and security belong together»Frihet och trygghet går hand i hand.« (party programme ↗)“Freedom and security go hand in hand.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan wants to strengthen the Constitution's rights protection for freedom of expression and strengthen freedom of expression on the net, and sees freedom of information as one of democracy's foundations.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to strengthen the Constitution's rights protection for freedom of expression and strengthen freedom of expression on the net, and sees freedom of information as one of democracy's foundations. The counter-proposal conversely requires that the constitutional protection be limited for certain search services. That goes against the plan's main line, even if the plan does not comment on privacy-infringing databases.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill förstärka grundlagens rättighetsskydd för yttrandefriheten och stärka yttrandefriheten på nätet, och ser informationsfriheten som en av demokratins grundpelare. Motförslaget kräver tvärtom att grundlagsskyddet begränsas för vissa söktjänster. Det går emot planens huvudlinje, även om planen inte uttalar sig om integritetskränkande databaser.
- strengthened constitutional protectiondecisive»Förstärka grundlagens rättighetsskydd vad gäller yttrandefrihet, äganderätt och frihet från religion« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Constitution's rights protection regarding freedom of expression, property rights and freedom from religion”
- freedom of information as a foundation»Yttrande-, åsikts- och informationsfriheterna är tre av demokratins grundpelare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Freedom of expression, opinion and information are three of democracy's foundations.”
- freedom of expression online»Stärka yttrandefriheten på Internet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen freedom of expression on the Internet”
- free information flows»Minska möjligheten för staten eller privata storbolag att påverka informationsflöden utifrån politiska intressen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the ability for the state or large private corporations to influence information flows for political interests”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:KU27)
- Committee report full text (HA01KU27)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1510 — En granskning av public services opartiskhet av Larry Söder (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1672 — En levande landsbygd för Sveriges bästa av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1679 — Moderniserad lagstiftning för att motverka spridning av våldsam pornografi av Helena Vilhelmsson m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:181 — Stärk demokratin och de mänskliga rättigheterna av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:1881 — Konstitutionella frågor av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1882 — En starkare liberal demokrati av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2054 — Utgiftsområde 17 Kultur, medier, trossamfund, fritid av Lawen Redar m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2139 — Utgiftsområde 4 Rättsväsendet av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2166 — Utgiftsområde 1 Rikets styrelse av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2171 — Lands- och glesbygd med stark samhällsutveckling av Elin Söderberg m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:2262 — Stärk det civila försvaret och krisberedskapen av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:2277 — Jämställdhetspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:294 — Skydd av yttrandefriheten på sociala medier av Jan Ericson (M)
- Motion 2022/23:599 — Barns tillgång till pornografiskt och våldsamt innehåll på nätet av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
- Motion 2022/23:849 — Internationellt samarbete i en ny tid av Kerstin Lundgren m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:862 — Fri journalistik och opinionsbildning som bevakar hela Sverige av Catarina Deremar m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:984 — Mediefrågor av Leonid Yurkovskiy m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:991 — Public service-frågor av Leonid Yurkovskiy m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament