Future data protection at the Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Customs Service, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the modernization of data protection laws for Skatteverket, Tullverket, and Kronofogdemyndigheten to adapt them to today's digital society. S considers that data protection must never undermine the financing of welfare or people's legal certainty 1. S wants the individual's freedom to be protected, but emphasizes that the tax system must function and that authorities need tools to combat tax fraud 1. M argues that the current rules are outdated and that the proposal creates order and predictability through clearer regulations 2. M emphasizes that the bill makes privacy protection clearer through rules on how long data may be stored and who may have access to it 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.
Blåvitt Elofsson (S)
Madam Speaker! Politics is fundamentally about what kind of society we want. For us Social Democrats, there is no doubt: Welfare must be strong and universal. It must be there when needed and hold Sweden together. Therefore, we protect ordinary earners, and we want those who have the largest margins to contribute a little more, so that healthcare, school, and care can function throughout the country.
When we debate the future of data protection today, it is with the exact same glasses and the same view of what kind of society we want. Data protection must never become something that creates problems or holes in the welfare system.
For us Social Democrats, it is clear that individual freedom should be protected to the greatest extent possible. It must be respected as a fundamental right. At the same time, we build our society on collective responsibility. Our welfare, our school, our healthcare, and our security are financed by all of us contributing according to our ability. This presupposes that the tax system works and that there is order and structure.
For us Social Democrats, it is therefore important that data protection never undermines the financing of the welfare system. Effective exercise of authority must never occur at the expense of people's legal certainty and privacy. It is not a contradiction, but rather a balance that must be maintained.
Data protection is a core issue when it comes to individual freedom. In this bill, we see many parts that are worth supporting, but we want to emphasize that exceptions to the principle of public access must be carefully considered, and the individual's rights must always be in focus. We will also work to strengthen citizens' right to transparency and complaints when personal data is used.
When the Riksdag now also considers Proposition 2025/26:107 on modern control tools for the Swedish Tax Agency, we see clearly how these issues are interconnected. If we are to be able to stand up against tax fraud and unserious actors, the authorities must have appropriate tools. Serious companies should not be competed out by those who cheat.
When the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) inspects companies, the authority must be able to access publicly available digital information, for example via the internet, to ensure that all companies compete on equal terms. Even here, a self-evident principle applies: the stronger tools the state is given, the stronger legal safeguards must exist.
Madam Speaker! Social Democratic policy is about uniting freedom with community, rights with responsibility, and a strong state with a strong rule of law. Well-balanced data protection is a part of this social contract. Therefore, it is crucial that future data protection becomes both robust and legally secure, so that we safeguard both people's freedom and our common welfare.
Marie Nicholson (M)
Madam Speaker! This is a report that is not particularly spectacular, but it is very important. It is about how the state actually functions in everyday life in a society that is completely digital.
The Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Customs Service, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority have mandates that affect us all. They must ensure that taxes are paid correctly, that rules are followed at the border, and that debts are handled in an orderly manner. This is the foundation for trust in society. But the way the authorities work today looks different than it did when large parts of the regulatory framework were written. Cases are handled digitally, data is managed in systems, and analyses are used to prioritize and to work more accurately. Nevertheless, the rules on how personal data may be processed are largely based on laws that are more than 20 years old. This is not reasonable, and that is why we are addressing the bill on the future of data protection.
What does the bill mean in practice? Well, it means that today's old register laws are replaced with new, modern data protection laws for Skatteverket, Tullverket, and Kronofogdemyndigheten. Each agency receives a clear regulatory framework that is adapted to how the operations are actually conducted today. It makes the distribution of responsibility clearer. It makes the rules more comprehensible, and it makes it easier to work correctly.
The new laws complement the EU's General Data Protection Regulation and adapt it to Swedish public administration. They create order and predictability for both the authorities and the individual. They also provide important guidance on how the authorities may use information for analyses and selections and how personal data may be used.
Madam Speaker! The bill also means that privacy protection will become clearer than it is today. It clarifies how long data may be processed and that it shall not be stored longer than necessary. Access to information shall be limited to those who need it for their work.
The secrecy rules are also adapted to today's methods of work. Methods and ways of working need to be protected so that the authorities can do their job in an efficient way even over time. Responsibility and control are clearly regulated in law.
Madam Speaker! This is not a dramatic reform. It is a necessary modernization. It is about ensuring that the legislation actually reflects how the state operates today, that authorities have clear rules to adhere to, and that citizens can feel confidence in how information is handled. For me, it is an expression of order and clarity even in the digital state.
I therefore move for approval of the committee's proposal.
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.