A new data protection regulation in the social security area
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
M believes that a new data protection regulation is an important reform to get order in Sweden and combat cheating, fraud, and benefit crimes that cost billions in incorrect payments 1. M argues that the proposal gives Försäkringskassan and Pensionsmyndigheten expanded opportunities to use personal data in data analyses to identify cases that require increased control 1. S believes that the proposal maintains a wise balance between personal privacy and the possibility of control 2. S argues that further modernizations of the legislation are needed and that the current proposal is a good step in the right direction 2.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Caroline Högström (M)
Mr. Speaker! A new data protection regulation law may sound like something dry and bureaucratic, but this is a truly important reform.
We can see from several reports that fraud, scams, and benefit crimes reduce the resources for our common welfare by large sums. The Swedish Agency for Public Management has presented in a report how several parts of our welfare system lose billions in incorrect payments. It can amount to as much as 15-20 billion that are paid out incorrectly every year. Nearly half is assessed to be due to pure crime. There is therefore a great need for order and tidiness in the welfare systems.
Mr. Speaker! The bill we now have before us, A new data protection regulation in the social insurance area, means that Försäkringskassan and Pensionsmyndigheten are given expanded possibilities to carry out controls to combat fraud and crime. This involves, among other things, that the authorities shall be given clearer support to use personal data in data analyses and selections to identify cases that require an extended control.
This is part of an important reform effort to get order in Sweden. This will - together with the removed secrecy between authorities, the newly established Payment Authority, and tightened requirements for authorities to have proper oversight and control - increase our opportunities to combat fraud and crime. It is necessary for the credibility of our social insurances, it is necessary to stifle the criminal economy, and it is necessary for the tax money to go to the right things.
A new data protection regulation in the social insurance area
Mr. Speaker! Step by step, the Moderate-led government is making it harder to be a criminal in Sweden. Step by step, we are therefore getting order in Sweden.
Åsa Eriksson (S)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by expressing my support for the committee's proposal in report 7 from the Social Insurance Committee.
I think it is important to maintain a wise balance in all legislation between, on one hand, personal privacy and the handling of data, and on the other hand, the possibility of control and oversight and, above all, the prevention of illegal activity. We Social Democrats believe that this balance is maintained in the proposal.
Mr. Speaker! I want to emphasize with this contribution to the debate that all parties in the Swedish Riksdag agree on this. It is not the usual picture that we are in agreement, and I think it is worth noting the times we are. It is far too often that we seek conflict for conflict's sake. This is an area where everyone is in agreement, and I think that is worth emphasizing.
We Social Democrats believe that further modernizations of the legislation are needed. This is good. It is a good step along the way, but it is not enough. We therefore envision that the government will come forward with new and more proposals for a modernized legislation so that we can uphold legal certainty, combat fraud, and curb illegal activity.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.