2023-03-292022/23:SkU8 · p.1SkUTaxation

The government's legislative proposals

The government's proposal for a Tax Agency analysis and selection database in population-register administration

What's at stake: The database is meant to let the Tax Agency make more effective selections and checks in the population register to reduce errors and combat crime against, among other things, the welfare system, but it also means more sensitive personal data about individuals may be processed, making the trade-off with personal privacy central.

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 adopt the government's legislative proposal to establish an analysis and selection database at the Tax Agency for population-register administration, or reject the proposal on the grounds that its impact on personal privacy has not been sufficiently analysed.

Yes Yes — the committee proposal

The committee considers that the legislative proposals should be adopted, since the benefits of more resource-efficient oversight and fewer errors in the population register outweigh the intrusion on privacy that the processing of personal data may involve, not least given the proposed safeguards, such as rules on maximum retention periods and strong confidentiality protection.

No No — the reservations

Reservation 1 (V)

The reservation wants parliament to reject the government's bill in its entirety, on the grounds that the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection and the Swedish Bar Association have pointed out that there is insufficient analysis of the consequences the new analysis and selection database will have for individuals' personal privacy.

Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.

VSMPCLKDMSD
YesNoAbstainAbsent

What do the votes mean here?

Yes The committee proposal: adopting the government's legislative proposal and rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).

No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by V.

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.

PlanVoteConfidenceEvidence
Vown reservationNoNo 0/21/0/3follows the planconfidence: mediumderived
SYesYes 93/0/0/14follows the planconfidence: mediumderived
MPNoYes 15/0/0/3departs from the planconfidence: mediumderived
CNoYes 21/0/0/3departs from the planconfidence: mediumderived
LYesYes 14/0/0/2follows the planconfidence: mediumderived
KDYesYes 15/0/0/4follows the planconfidence: mediumderived
MYesYes 59/0/0/9follows the planconfidence: highexplicit
SDYesYes 65/0/0/8follows the planconfidence: mediumderived

Committee proposal

The Riksdag adopts the government's proposals for 1. an act amending the Inheritance Code, 2. an act amending the act (2001:182) on the processing of personal data in the Swedish Tax Agency's population registration operations, 3. an act amending the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (2009:400), 4. an act amending the act (2021:1256) on risk tax for credit institutions, 5. an act amending the act (2022:1700) amending the act (2001:182) on the processing of personal data in the Swedish Tax Agency's population registration operations. In doing so, the Riksdag grants proposition 2022/23:41 points 1-5 and rejects the motion 2022/23:2315 by Ilona Szatmári Waldau et al. (V) amendment 1.

Original (Swedish)

Riksdagen antar regeringens förslag till 1. lag om ändring i ärvdabalken, 2. lag om ändring i lagen (2001:182) om behandling av personuppgifter i Skatteverkets folkbokföringsverksamhet, 3. lag om ändring i offentlighets- och sekretesslagen (2009:400), 4. lag om ändring i lagen (2021:1256) om riskskatt för kreditinstitut, 5. lag om ändring i lagen (2022:1700) om ändring i lagen (2001:182) om behandling av personuppgifter i Skatteverkets folkbokföringsverksamhet. Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2022/23:41 punkterna 1-5 och avslår motion 2022/23:2315 av Ilona Szatmári Waldau m.fl. (V) yrkande 1.

Riksdag decision: The Swedish Tax Agency shall have better opportunities to reduce the amount of errors and fraud in population registration. This is to be able to counter crime directed against, among other things, the welfare systems. The Riksdag said yes to the government's proposal. Through the legislative changes, the Swedish Tax Agency may process personal data to conduct data analysis and selection in order to prevent, avert and detect incorrect information in population registration. The agency shall focus on areas with high risk for errors and fraud and where the best possible effect can be achieved. For the information collected for analysis and selection, new regulations are introduced, which, among other things, aim to reduce the interference with personal integrity that the proposals may entail. For example, special rules are introduced regarding the maximum time for processing personal data as well as strong confidentiality protection. The legislative changes concerning data analysis and selection and the amendment to the law on risk tax for credit institutions enter into force on 1 May 2023. Other legislative changes enter into force on 1 September 2023.

Counter-proposals

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.

VVänsterpartietNoNofollows the planderived

The programme requires that all have the right to a broad private sphere and that growing surveillance and registration be countered as part of a deepened democracy.

Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto

Reasoning and quotes

The programme requires that all have the right to a broad private sphere and that growing surveillance and registration be countered as part of a deepened democracy. A new population register database for sampling and analysis whose integrity consequences are not sufficiently investigated is precisely such an expanded registration, and the election manifesto means that welfare crime is not best combated with more control. Rejecting the proposal thus follows from the plan's integrity commitment.

Original (Swedish)

Programmet kräver att alla har rätt till en bred privat sfär och att växande övervakning och registrering motverkas som en del av en fördjupad demokrati. En ny folkbokföringsdatabas för urval och analyser vars integritetskonsekvenser inte är tillräckligt utredda är precis en sådan utvidgad registrering, och valmanifestet menar att välfärdsbrott inte bekämpas bäst med mer kontroll. Att avslå förslaget följer därmed av planens integritetsåtagande.

  • 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.”
  • counter registrationdecisive»registrering ska motverkas« (party programme ↗)“registration shall be countered.”
  • integrity in the rule of law»En fördjupad demokrati innebär också att vi slår vakt om den« (party programme ↗)“A deepened democracy also means that we protect the”
  • control is not the solution»Välfärdsbrott bekämpas inte bäst genom ytterligare tandlös kontroll.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Welfare crime is not best combated through further toothless control.”

flags: citat_svagt

SSocialdemokraternaYesYesfollows the planderived

The counter-proposal wants to reject the bill entirely.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The counter-proposal wants to reject the bill entirely. The plan's commitment points in the opposite direction: tax fraud and welfare fraud must be stopped and secrecy barriers between authorities torn down so that control works. The programme's requirement for protection of personal integrity argues for careful safeguards, but not for rejecting more effective population register control in its entirety.

Original (Swedish)

Motförslaget vill avslå lagförslaget helt. Planens åtagande är motsatt riktning: skattefusk och välfärdsbrottslighet ska stoppas och sekretesshinder mellan myndigheter rivas så att kontrollen fungerar. Programmets krav på skydd för den personliga integriteten talar för noggranna skyddsåtgärder, men inte för att avvisa en effektivare folkbokföringskontroll i sin helhet.

  • stop welfare frauddecisive»Skattefusk, välfärdsbrottslighet och penningtvätt ska stoppas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tax fraud, welfare fraud and money laundering shall be stopped.”
  • effective authority control»Sekretesshinder mellan myndigheter ska rivas så att polisen och andra yrkesgrupper kan göra sitt jobb.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Secrecy barriers between authorities shall be torn down so that the police and other occupational groups can do their jobs.”
  • integrity protection as a condition»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”
MPMiljöpartietNoYesdeparts from the planderived

The party programme opposes all laws that constitute disproportionate intrusions on privacy and establishes that crime and counter-terrorism must not come at the expense of human rights.

Plan documents: party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The party programme opposes all laws that constitute disproportionate intrusions on privacy and establishes that crime and counter-terrorism must not come at the expense of human rights. When major consultative bodies argue that the consequences for individuals' privacy are not sufficiently analysed, there is no basis for the balancing the plan requires. Rejecting the proposal is therefore supported.

Original (Swedish)

Partiprogrammet motsätter sig alla lagar som innebär oproportionerliga ingrepp i integriteten och slår fast att brotts- och terrorbekämpning inte får ske på bekostnad av mänskliga rättigheter. När tunga remissinstanser menar att konsekvenserna för enskildas integritet inte är tillräckligt analyserade saknas underlag för den avvägning planen kräver. Att avslå förslaget stöds därför.

  • against disproportionate privacy intrusionsdecisive»alla lagar som innebär oproportionerliga ingrepp i« (party programme ↗)“all laws that constitute disproportionate intrusions on”
  • crime prevention with HR limit»integriteten. Brotts- och terrorbekämpning är« (party programme ↗)“privacy. Crime and counter-terrorism are”
  • protect privacy and private life»Vi vill värna människors rätt till integritet och« (party programme ↗)“We want to protect people's right to privacy and”
  • checks must not infringe on individuals»integritetskränkande. För Miljöpartiet de gröna är« (party programme ↗)“integrity-infringing. For the Greens”

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.

CCenterpartietNoYesdeparts from the planderived

The party programme requires that all legislation be tested against its impact on personal integrity and that restrictions are proportional to the purpose.

Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto

Reasoning and quotes

The party programme requires that all legislation be tested against its impact on personal integrity and that restrictions are proportional to the purpose. Rejecting a proposal for a new personal data database where the integrity impact analysis is deficient follows directly from that review. The plan also shows that it is prepared to reject integrity-infringing tools even when the purpose is crime prevention.

Original (Swedish)

Partiprogrammet kräver att all lagstiftning prövas mot sin påverkan på den personliga integriteten och att inskränkningen är proportionerlig mot syftet. Att avslå ett förslag om en ny personuppgiftsdatabas där konsekvensanalysen för integriteten brister följer direkt av den prövningen. Planen visar också att den är beredd att säga nej till integritetskränkande verktyg även när syftet är brottsbekämpning.

  • integrity review of lawsweak 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.”
  • proportionality requirementdecisive»Det måste finnas en proportionalitet mellan lagstiftningens inskränkning av medborgarnas integritet och lagarnas syfte.« (party programme ↗)“There must be proportionality between the legislation's restriction of citizens' integrity and the laws' purpose.”
  • no to integrity intrusions»Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore reject stop-and-search zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive surveillance, and restrictions on religious freedom.”
  • strong integrity protection»Ett starkt integritetsskydd är därför en omistlig del av ett öppet och demokratiskt samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“Strong integrity protection is therefore an essential part of an open and democratic society.”

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.

LLiberalernaYesYesfollows the planderived

The election manifesto, which carries the most weight, demands more tools against crime and that authorities as a main rule always can exchange information to stop crimes against among other things welfare systems.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The election manifesto, which carries the most weight, demands more tools against crime and that authorities as a main rule always can exchange information to stop crimes against among other things welfare systems. Rejecting the proposal for a control database in the population register entirely would remove such a tool. The party programme's requirement for privacy analysis and that intrusions are only justified when the opposing interest weighs manifestly heavier speaks for thoroughness, but not for rejection.

Original (Swedish)

Valmanifestet, som väger tyngst, kräver fler verktyg mot brottslighet och att myndigheter som huvudregel alltid kan utbyta information för att stoppa brott mot bland annat välfärdssystemen. Att avslå förslaget om en kontrolldatabas i folkbokföringen i sin helhet skulle ta bort ett sådant verktyg. Partiprogrammets krav på integritetsanalys och på att intrång bara är berättigade när motstående intresse väger uppenbart tyngre talar för noggrannhet, men inte för avslag.

  • more tools against crimedecisive»Avlyssning och andra hemliga tvångsmedel ska kunna användas både vid misstanke om fler brott än i dag och efter domstolsbeslut mot organiserade gängmedlemmar även utan konkret brottsmisstanke.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Wiretapping and other secret coercive measures may be used both when suspecting more crimes than today and following court decision against organised gang members even without concrete suspicion of crime.”
  • information exchange as main rule»Polis och socialtjänst ska som huvudregel alltid kunna utbyta information sinsemellan och ska oftare dela lokaler.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Police and social services shall as a main rule always be able to exchange information and shall often share premises.”
  • weighing against opposing interest»är endast berättigade om ett motstående intresse väger uppenbart tyngre och åtgärden är effektiv.« (party programme ↗)“is only justified if an opposing interest weighs manifestly heavier and the measure is effective.”
  • privacy analysis of bills»lagförslag ska analyseras ur integritetssynpunkt.« (party programme ↗)“bill proposals shall be analysed from a privacy perspective.”
KDKristdemokraternaYesYesfollows the planderived

The election manifesto requires that agencies be able to share data among themselves to prevent and clear up crimes, and the plan that all crimes be effectively investigated and that trust in the legal system is based on effective crime prevention.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The election manifesto requires that agencies be able to share data among themselves to prevent and clear up crimes, and the plan that all crimes be effectively investigated and that trust in the legal system is based on effective crime prevention. Rejecting the proposal entirely would stop a tool for this. The plan's requirement for great caution in handling personal data simultaneously speaks for rigorous protective measures.

Original (Swedish)

Valmanifestet kräver att myndigheter kan dela uppgifter mellan sig för att förebygga och klara upp brott, och planen att alla brott effektivt beivras och att tilltron till rättssamhället bygger på effektiv brottsbekämpning. Att avslå förslaget i sin helhet skulle stoppa ett verktyg för detta. Planens krav på stor försiktighet vid hantering av personuppgifter talar samtidigt för noggranna skyddsåtgärder.

  • agencies shall share datadecisive»Total översyn av sekretessreglerna, så att myndigheter kan dela uppgifter mellan sig för att förebygga och klara upp brott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Total review of secrecy rules, so that agencies can share information with each other to prevent and clear up crimes.”
  • all crimes shall be investigated»Alla brott ska effektivt och utan undantag beivras« (party programme ↗)“All crimes shall be effectively and without exception investigated”
  • effective crime prevention»Tilltron till rättssamhället bygger på att människorna« (party programme ↗)“Trust in the legal system is based on people”
  • strong integrity protection»Den personliga integriteten ska ha ett starkt« (party programme ↗)“Personal integrity shall have a strong”
MModeraternaYesYesfollows the planexplicit

The plan explicitly wants to take control of population registration and conduct a national census to halve benefit fraud.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme

Reasoning and quotes

The plan explicitly wants to take control of population registration and conduct a national census to halve benefit fraud. To reject a bill that gives population registration better analysis and control options goes directly against that commitment. The plan safeguards personal integrity, but the balance made with secrecy protection and time limits is not sufficient to justify rejection.

Original (Swedish)

Planen vill uttryckligen ta kontroll över folkbokföringen och genomföra en nationell folkräkning för att halvera bidragsbrotten. Att avslå ett lagförslag som ger folkbokföringen bättre analys- och kontrollmöjligheter går rakt emot det åtagandet. Planen värnar den personliga integriteten, men den avvägning som gjorts med sekretesskydd och tidsgränser räcker inte för att motivera avslag.

  • control of population registrationdecisive»Moderaterna tänker ta kontroll över folkbokföringen för att stoppa bidragsbrotten och se till att de skattepengar du betalar in används till det de är avsedda för.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderate Party intends to take control of population registration to stop benefit fraud and ensure that the tax money you pay is used for its intended purpose.”
  • national census»Genomföra en nationell folkräkning för att stoppa bidragsbrotten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Conduct a national census to stop benefit fraud”
  • halve benefit fraud»I ett första steg är målet att halvera bidragsbrotten under nästa mandatperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In a first step, the goal is to halve benefit fraud during the next term.”
  • integrity safeguarded»Den personliga integriteten ska värnas, såväl från intrång« (party programme ↗)“Personal integrity shall be safeguarded, both against intrusions into”
SDSverigedemokraternaYesYesfollows the planderived

The plan requires more controls against the shadow economy, that it should become more difficult to exploit welfare and that the justice system's tools for detecting criminals be improved.

Plan documents: 2022 manifesto

Reasoning and quotes

The plan requires more controls against the shadow economy, that it should become more difficult to exploit welfare and that the justice system's tools for detecting criminals be improved. A national population register database for more efficient control is such a tool, and rejecting the proposal entirely with reference to the privacy impact assessment would hamper this. The counter-proposal's demand is thus rejected.

Original (Swedish)

Planen kräver fler kontroller mot skuggsamhället, att det ska bli svårare att exploatera välfärden och att myndigheternas verktyg för att upptäcka kriminella förbättras. En folkbokföringsdatabas för mer effektiv kontroll är ett sådant verktyg, och att avslå förslaget i sin helhet med hänvisning till integritetsanalysen skulle bromsa det. Motförslagets krav avvisas därför.

  • more controlsdecisive»Bekämpa skuggsamhället och illegal migration med fler kontroller och fler utvisningar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Combat the shadow economy and illegal migration with more controls and more deportations”
  • protect welfare against fraud»Göra det svårare att exploatera den svenska välfärden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it more difficult to exploit Swedish welfare”
  • better government tools»Rättsväsendets samverkan mellan myndigheter och verktyg för att upptäcka och lagföra kriminella ska förbättras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Cooperation in the justice system between agencies and tools for detecting and prosecuting criminals shall be improved.”
  • counteract fraud-prone systems»Både fusk och sådana system som tenderar att locka till fusk och korruption ska motverkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Both fraud and systems that tend to encourage fraud and corruption should be counteracted.”

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Sources and documents

Documents under consideration

Source: The Swedish Parliament