(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Mikael Odenberg, the Swedish defence minister presented on 8 March 2007 a draft law to the parliament that would give the national defence intelligence agency the power to monitor all cross-border phone calls and email traffic without court order.

The proposal, which according to the government, is meant to combat terrorism and other threats to national security, would allow the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) to use computer software to search for sensitive keywords in all cross-border phone and e-mail communications.

Although the Government states that this would affect only a small part of the electronic communications and that communication exchanged between Swedes will be filtered, critics are concerned that this proposal is too far reaching, being among the most advanced in Europe. They consider it is impossible to eliminate from this programme private communications between Swedes as e-mails are often routed via a server abroad.

Even SAPO, the national security police agency, has criticized the proposal, considering it violates personal integrity.

The Swedish Legislative Council, with some suggestions for amendments, especially related to FRA and its monitoring, has given its approval on the governmental proposal encouraging the defence minister to continue his action.

"I am now going to continue preparing a proposal. The first thing I will do is to contact the Social Democrats and consult with them as to how best to apply the Legislative Council's constructive suggestions," stated Odenberg.

Thomas Bodstroem, head of the opposition Social Democrats, accused the defense minister of trying to "cover up" the fact that, in the future, the military would have a similar role in fighting crime as that of the police and that FRA, unlike the police, would not need a court order to begin the surveillance.

"We have to ask the question: Do we want this change, and if we do, shouldn't we carry out a thorough examination first," said Bodstroem.

A 12-month delay in discussing the draft law can be obtained by the vote of 60 out of the 349 members of Sweden's parliament, since it is a proposition limiting freedoms and rights of individuals. However, Bodstroem said the Social Democrats had not yet decided whether they would go for a delay and that they would examine the proposal closely before taking any decision.

Sweden proposes giving intelligence agency broad new powers (8.03.2007)
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/08/news/sweden.php

Sweden edges closer to bugging (9.03.2007)
http://www.thelocal.se/6355/20070209/

Sweden proposes extensive wiretapping programme (8.03.2007)
http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/NewsML____12744.aspx?newsid=3363