2026-06-172025/26:JuU47 · p.2JuUJustice
Evaluation of the new legislation
Evaluation of the new law against online recruitment into crime
What's at stake: The decision concerns how a new law, which allows content that recruits people into crime online to be required to be removed quickly, should be followed up. It affects hosting service providers who may face sanction fees, young people who are especially exposed to recruitment, and anyone at risk of having lawful content wrongly removed.
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 Parliament should direct a statement to the government to evaluate, within five years, the new law against online recruitment into crime - its application, precision, proportionality, resource needs and consequences for freedom of expression and information - or whether it should be left to the government to follow up the law on its own without such a formal statement.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the assessment that online recruitment of children and young people into crime is a major societal problem and welcomes the legislative proposal, but considers that the government can nonetheless be expected to follow up the law's effects and evaluate it at an appropriate time. Parliament therefore rejects the motion for a special statement.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (V, MP)
V and MP support the legislative proposal but point to risks that non-criminal expression online could be removed, that certain provisions could get too broad a scope, and that the police could lack sufficient resources for implementation. The parties therefore want the government to evaluate, within five years, the law's application, precision, proportionality, resource needs and consequences for freedom of expression and information.
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 1 by 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 0/21/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 105/0/0/1 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/18/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 24/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 16/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 19/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | No | Yes 66/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 70/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects motion 2025/26:4195 by Ulrika Westerlund et al. (MP).
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2025/26:4195 av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP).
Riksdag decision: Parliament approved the government's proposal for a new law on removal of recruitment content online and an amendment to the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act. The new regulation means that recruitment content online, which is used to recruit in particular children and young people to commit crimes, can be removed or made inaccessible on digital platforms following a decision by an authority. The new regulatory framework aims to prevent online recruitment in particular of children and young people, and to combat 'crime as a service', which means that serious crimes, such as explosions and shootings, are advertised and coordinated by criminals through various digital services. The decision means that a competent authority can decide on injunctions for recruitment content to be removed or made inaccessible. An injunction shall be directed at the hosting service provider, that is, the one who provides the platform where the content is located. The recruitment content shall be removed as soon as possible and no later than one hour from when the hosting service provider received the injunction. A penalty fee can be imposed on the hosting service provider who violates its obligations under the new law. The new rules enter into force on 15 July 2026.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to evaluate within five years the implementation of legislation on combating online recruitment. (V, MP) — Reservation 1
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 plan counts freedom of expression and press freedom among democracy's most important building blocks and demands that proposals show themselves effective and fair when implemented.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan counts freedom of expression and press freedom among democracy's most important building blocks and demands that proposals show themselves effective and fair when implemented. It also establishes that penalties and sanctions need to be carefully designed to actually reduce crime. The counter-proposal's requirement for an evaluation within five years of the law's target precision, proportionality and consequences for freedom of expression follows from this.
Original (Swedish)
Planen räknar yttrande- och tryckfriheten till demokratins viktigaste byggstenar och kräver att förslag ska visa sig effektiva och rättvisa när de genomförs. Den slår också fast att straff och påföljder ska vara noggrant utformade för att faktiskt sänka brottsligheten. Motförslagets krav på en utvärdering inom fem år av lagens träffsäkerhet, proportionalitet och konsekvenser för yttrandefriheten följer av detta.
- freedom of expression as democracy foundationdecisive»är föreningsfriheten, yttrande- och tryckfriheten« (party programme ↗)“is freedom of association, expression and press freedom”
- evidence-tested legislation»förslag som visar sig effektiva och rättvisa den dag de genomförs.« (party programme ↗)“proposals that show themselves effective and fair the day they are implemented.”
- sanctions shall reduce crime»Straff och andra påföljder för brott behöver vara noggrant« (party programme ↗)“Penalties and other sanctions for crime need to be carefully”
- repression does not address causes»Alltför ofta lyfts repression och hårdare tag upp som lösningar istället för att ta itu med problemen på allvar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Too often repression and a tougher approach are raised as solutions instead of tackling the problems seriously.”
The plan requires criminal policy based on evidence, efficiency and legal certainty, which presupposes that new and intrusive legislation is monitored and systematically evaluated.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires criminal policy based on evidence, efficiency and legal certainty, which presupposes that new and intrusive legislation is monitored and systematically evaluated. At the same time, the plan requires offensive measures against recruitment of children and youth, so an evaluation does not question the law in substance. The requirement for protection of civil liberties and rights speaks for also testing the consequences for freedom of expression and information.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver en kriminalpolitik byggd på evidens, effektivitet och rättssäkerhet, vilket förutsätter att ny och ingripande lagstiftning följs upp och utvärderas systematiskt. Samtidigt kräver planen offensiva insatser mot nyrekrytering av barn och unga, så en utvärdering ifrågasätter inte lagen i sak. Kravet på skydd för medborgerliga fri- och rättigheter talar för att också konsekvenserna för yttrande- och informationsfriheten prövas.
- evidence-based criminal policydecisive»Kriminalpolitik byggd på evidens, effektivitet och rättssäkerhet.« (party programme ↗)“Criminal policy based on evidence, efficiency and legal certainty.”
- stop recruitment of children»Offensiva insatser mot nyrekrytering och utnyttjande av barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“Offensive measures against recruitment and exploitation of children and youth.”
- freedom of expression and information»Skydd för medborgerliga fri- och rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of civil liberties and rights.”
- stop recruitment»Nyrekryteringen måste stoppas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Recruitment must be stopped.”
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 wishes to combat the recruitment of young people into criminal environments, but simultaneously demands that all new legislation be carefully tested on the basis of legal certainty and fundamental freedoms and rights and that freedom of speech is cherished as democracy's foundation.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wishes to combat the recruitment of young people into criminal environments, but simultaneously demands that all new legislation be carefully tested on the basis of legal certainty and fundamental freedoms and rights and that freedom of speech is cherished as democracy's foundation. An evaluation of the law's accuracy, proportionality, resource needs and consequences for freedom of speech and information is precisely such testing. The counter-proposal's demand for evaluation within five years is therefore supported.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill bekämpa att unga rekryteras in i kriminella miljöer, men kräver samtidigt att all ny lagstiftning prövas noggrant utifrån rättssäkerhet och grundläggande fri- och rättigheter och att yttrandefriheten värnas som demokratins grundbult. En utvärdering av lagens träffsäkerhet, proportionalitet, resursbehov och konsekvenser för yttrande- och informationsfriheten är just en sådan prövning. Motförslagets krav på utvärdering inom fem år stöds därför.
- legal certainty testing of new legislationdecisive»prövas noggrant utifrån rättssäkerhet och grundläggande fri- och rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“be carefully tested on the basis of legal certainty and fundamental freedoms and rights.”
- freedom of speech is cherished»Yttrandefriheten är en grundbult i alla demokratiska system.« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of speech is a foundation in all democratic systems.”
- stop recruitment of young people»Allt fler unga har rekryterats in i kriminella miljöer« (party programme ↗)“Increasingly more young people have been recruited into criminal environments”
- strengthened freedom of speech»förstärka yttrandefriheten och stödja oberoende medier i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen freedom of speech and support independent media throughout the country.”
The plan requires that all legislation be tested against its impact on personal privacy and that restriction be proportionate to the purpose, and it is explicitly restrictive toward increased internet regulation.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that all legislation be tested against its impact on personal privacy and that restriction be proportionate to the purpose, and it is explicitly restrictive toward increased internet regulation. An evaluation of accuracy, proportionality and consequences for freedom of expression and information is precisely such a test. The plan simultaneously wants to prevent recruitment of young people to gangs, which requires sufficient resources.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att all lagstiftning prövas mot sin påverkan på den personliga integriteten och att inskränkningen står i proportion till syftet, och den är uttalat restriktiv till ökad reglering av internet. En utvärdering av träffsäkerhet, proportionalitet och konsekvenser för yttrande- och informationsfriheten är just en sådan prövning. Planen vill samtidigt förebygga nyrekrytering av unga till gängen, vilket kräver tillräckliga resurser.
- restrained internet regulationdecisive»Centerpartiet motsätter sig en ökad reglering av internet.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party opposes increased regulation of the internet.”
- privacy impact assessment of legislationweak 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 privacy.”
- proportionality in legislation»Det måste finnas en proportionalitet mellan lagstiftningens inskränkning av medborgarnas integritet och lagarnas syfte.« (party programme ↗)“There must be proportionality between legislation's restriction of citizens' privacy and the laws' purpose.”
- prevent recruitment to gangs»Samhället ska inte vika sig för gängen. För att besegra dem krävs bättre insatser som förebygger nyrekrytering, mer resurser till polis, åklagare, domstolar och kriminalvården och strängare straff.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society must not yield to gangs. To defeat them requires better initiatives that prevent recruitment, more resources to police, prosecutors, courts and prison services and tougher sentences.”
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 plan requires that already introduced laws with strong impact on personal privacy are regularly evaluated and that all new legislative proposals are analyzed from a privacy perspective.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that already introduced laws with strong impact on personal privacy are regularly evaluated and that all new legislative proposals are analyzed from a privacy perspective. An evaluation of accuracy, proportionality and consequences for freedom of expression and information is precisely such monitoring. Freedom of thought and the right to freely express oneself strengthen the conclusion.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att redan införda lagar med stark påverkan på den personliga integriteten regelbundet utvärderas och att alla nya lagförslag analyseras ur integritetssynpunkt. En utvärdering av träffsäkerhet, proportionalitet och konsekvenser för yttrande- och informationsfriheten är precis en sådan uppföljning. Tankefriheten och rätten att fritt uttrycka sig förstärker slutsatsen.
- regular evaluation of lawsdecisive»Redan införda lagar med stark påverkan på den personliga integriteten ska regelbundet utvärderas.« (party programme ↗)“Already introduced laws with strong impact on personal privacy shall be regularly evaluated.”
- privacy analysis of proposals»Alla nya lagförslag ska analyseras ur integritetssynpunkt.« (party programme ↗)“All new legislative proposals shall be analyzed from a privacy perspective.”
- freedom of expression as freedom of thought»Tryck- och yttrandefrihet, föreningsfrihet, mötes- och demonstrationsfrihet är nödvändiga delar av tankefriheten.« (party programme ↗)“Press and freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of assembly and demonstration are necessary parts of freedom of thought.”
- proportionality testing»Åtgärder som påverkar den personliga integriteten negativt är endast berättigade om ett motstående intresse väger uppenbart tyngre och åtgärden är effektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Measures that negatively affect personal privacy are only justified if a countervailing interest weighs clearly more heavily and the measure is effective.”
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 requires strong protection for freedom of expression and that the public only intervenes in it in the cases and manner that the basic law prescribes.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires strong protection for freedom of expression and that the public only intervenes in it in the cases and manner that the basic law prescribes. The counter-proposal wants to evaluate the new law's accuracy, proportionality and consequences for freedom of expression and information, which follows from that limit. The plan also makes evaluation and monitoring an important political task.
Original (Swedish)
Principprogrammet kräver ett starkt skydd för yttrandefriheten och att det allmänna bara får ingripa mot den i de fall och den ordning grundlagen föreskriver. Motförslaget vill utvärdera den nya lagens träffsäkerhet, proportionalitet och konsekvenser för yttrande- och informationsfriheten, vilket följer av den gränsen. Planen gör dessutom utvärdering och uppföljning till en viktig politisk uppgift.
- constitutionally protected freedom of expressiondecisive»Grundlagsskyddet av yttrandefriheten och den därmed sammanhängande tryckfriheten innebär att det allmänna inte får ingripa mot yttrandefriheten, annat än i de fall och den ordning som föreskrivs i grundlagen.« (party programme ↗)“The constitutional protection of freedom of expression and the associated freedom to print means that the public may not intervene against freedom of expression, except in the cases and manner that prescribed in the basic law.”
- monitoring as a political task»Utvärdering, kostnadsuppföljning och kvalitetskontroll är därför viktiga politiska uppgifter.« (party programme ↗)“Evaluation, cost tracking and quality control are therefore important political tasks.”
- strong freedom of expression protection»Ett starkt skydd för yttrande- och meddelarfriheten samt anonymitetsskyddet, liksom för mötes-och föreningsfriheten, är av stor vikt för en levande demokrati.« (party programme ↗)“Strong protection for freedom of expression and reporting as well as anonymity protection, as well as for meeting and freedom of association, are of great importance for a living democracy.”
- early protection of children from crime»Socialtjänsten, polisen och skolan har en stor uppgift i detta avseende och ska ha en nära samverkan med varandra för att på ett tidigt stadium förhindra kriminalitet hos barn och ungdomar.« (party programme ↗)“Social services, police and school have a major task in this regard and shall have close cooperation with each other to at an early stage prevent crime among children and youth.”
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 establishes that a reform-oriented party shall constantly be prepared to evaluate and reconsider implemented reforms in light of new knowledge.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that a reform-oriented party shall constantly be prepared to evaluate and reconsider implemented reforms in light of new knowledge. An evaluation of the new law's accuracy, proportionality and resource requirements is precisely such a follow-up, and it leaves the law's substance untouched. The programme's defence of freedom of expression even for opinions that provoke strengthens the reason to monitor the consequences for freedom of information. However, the basis is only general principles.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att ett reforminriktat parti ständigt ska vara berett att utvärdera och ompröva genomförda reformer i ljuset av ny kunskap. En utvärdering av den nya lagens träffsäkerhet, proportionalitet och resursbehov är precis en sådan uppföljning, och den lämnar lagens sakinnehåll orört. Programmets försvar av yttrandefriheten även för åsikter som provocerar stärker skälet att följa upp konsekvenserna för informationsfriheten. Underlaget är dock enbart allmänna principer.
- reconsider implemented reformsdecisive»i ljuset av ny kunskap ständigt är redo att vårda, utvärdera« (party programme ↗)“in light of new knowledge constantly be prepared to care for, evaluate”
- constant readiness to evaluate»beredskap för att utvärdera, ompröva, förändra och förbättra« (party programme ↗)“readiness to evaluate, reconsider, change and improve”
- protected freedom of expression»Yttrandefriheten gäller även för åsikter som provocerar och« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of expression applies even to opinions that provoke and”
flags: citat_blockerat
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 election manifesto makes freedom of expression online its own commitment and states that only content that falls outside freedom of expression under Swedish law should be subject to censorship.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto makes freedom of expression online its own commitment and states that only content that falls outside freedom of expression under Swedish law should be subject to censorship. An evaluation of the new law's accuracy, proportionality and consequences for freedom of expression and information protects precisely that commitment, without countering the plan's measures against crime affecting young people. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demands.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet gör yttrandefriheten på nätet till ett eget åtagande och slår fast att bara innehåll som faller utanför yttrandefriheten enligt svensk lag ska få censureras. En utvärdering av den nya lagens träffsäkerhet, proportionalitet och konsekvenser för yttrande- och informationsfriheten skyddar just det åtagandet, utan att motverka planens krafttag mot brottslighet som drabbar unga. Planen stöder därför motförslagets krav.
- no arbitrary censorshipdecisive»Utgångspunkten ska vara att endast innehåll som passerar vad som är tillåtet enligt yttrandefriheten enligt svensk lag ska få censureras av plattformarna och att godtycklig avstängning eller begränsning av användarkonton ska förbjudas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The starting point should be that only content that complies with what is permitted under freedom of expression under Swedish law should be subject to censorship by platforms, and that arbitrary suspension or restriction of user accounts should be prohibited.”
- freedom of expression online»Värna yttrandefriheten på nätet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect freedom of expression online”
- strengthened freedom of expression online»Stärka yttrandefriheten på Internet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen freedom of expression on the Internet”
- follow-up and evaluation»Begära tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Demand clear results for every public investment”
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.
Share and embed
Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2025/26:JuU47)
- Committee report full text (HD01JuU47)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:4195 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:276 Nya möjligheter att bekämpa onlinerekrytering av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Proposition 2025/26:276 — Nya möjligheter att bekämpa onlinerekrytering
Source: The Swedish Parliament