Response to interpellation 2024/25:423 on Sweden's foreign and security policy regarding cyber and digital issues
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
M argues that the national security strategy shows that technological development has major security policy consequences 1. M believes that the strategy is not aimed at specific platforms but at strengthening Sweden's resilience against risks linked to new technology and information influence 1. M emphasizes that authorities and private actors have a responsibility to conduct security analyses of the services they use 1. S believes that it is not possible to speak generally about a foreign policy strategy without commenting on individual cases and platforms. S argues that it is important to comment on specific services such as Tiktok and Deepseek.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Mr. Speaker! Markus Selin has raised questions linked to a number of digital services. He has asked whether I intend to work towards taking measures in relation to these digital services and, if not, how the strategy for foreign and security policy regarding cyber issues and digital issues shall be used.
Sweden's national security strategy states that rapid technological development is one of the factors that defines our time. The new technology also has major security policy consequences, and the foreign and security policy work regarding cyber issues and digital issues is growing in both scope and importance. Digital technology, for example 5G and other digital communication networks and platforms, has become a central piece in the current geopolitical environment. Countries' competitiveness and global power relations are increasingly affected by the development of new technology, and the ability to promote Swedish interests in this area is becoming increasingly important.
To meet this development, it is crucial to drive a coherent and integrated foreign and security policy on cyber issues and digital issues. The strategy Sweden in a digital world lays the foundation for such work. The entire foreign policy is affected, including security, trade and innovation, development cooperation, human rights and democracy. Specifically, this involves, among other things, cooperating within the EU and Nato to address and manage external cyber threats and cyberattacks from a foreign policy perspective. It also includes developing cooperation regarding support to Ukraine in the cyber and digitalization area, integrating digitalization and cybersecurity into Sweden's development cooperation, as well as promoting Swedish digital technology and the conditions for Swedish companies to operate internationally.
The EU is a central cooperation platform in these issues. Sweden contributes to the work for a stronger and more cohesive EU in the digital field, including a deepening of the EU's digital single market, open digital sovereignty, strengthened cybersecurity, regulation of new technology, and strengthened EU cooperation regarding digital diplomacy.
The strategy is not focused on specific digital platforms or services. Instead, it aims to strengthen Sweden's collective resilience in the digital infrastructure and to work collectively against various risks and threats linked to new digital technology and improper information influence.
We are closely following the discussion regarding applications such as TikTok and Deepseek. China's growing technological influence in a number of areas can pose risks and vulnerabilities even for us in Sweden, and it is something we must contend with. All authorities and private actors have a responsibility to conduct a security analysis of the services they use. This applies particularly to those actors who work with society-critical and security-sensitive activities. The EU Commission has a central role in ensuring compliance with EU legislation in this area. The Commission is, for example, currently conducting investigations of both TikTok and X linked to issues such as improper information influence.
The foreign policy strategy shall function in a mutually reinforcing manner with the national strategy for cybersecurity which is currently being developed at the Government Offices. Sweden also has the Centre for Cyber Defence and Information Security, whose purpose is to strengthen Sweden's cyber defence and information security.
Sweden's collective ability to manage risks and threats related to cyber issues and digital issues, as well as to counter threats to the country's information and cyber security, needs to be constantly developed. It is therefore of great importance that the government and relevant parts of the Government Offices continue to work continuously with these issues both nationally and internationally.
Markus Selin (S)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for a comprehensive answer.
I like to get straight to the point. I do not believe in this strategy, and I will soon present my arguments for this.
Let me go into the details. TikTok is used by a large part of Sweden's youth many times a week. TikTok is operated and owned ultimately by a totalitarian one-party state in the form of China. Deepseek is a new tool for artificial intelligence – an AI tool – that is driven and produced by China. If one asks the AI tool Deepseek what happened at Tiananmen Square in 1989, this artificial tool cannot provide an answer, Mr. Speaker.
Until now, we have a new situation in the USA. We have a new-old president named Donald Trump. His friend Elon Musk is a political actor who owns a – admittedly not so large – platform called X. Quite recently, Elon Musk chose to enter the German electoral debate. He did not only interfere in European and German domestic politics, Mr. Speaker, but he also supported the far-right party Alternative for Germany. Elon Musk's platform X, which I personally consider to be a pure sewer, was used for political purposes to campaign for this far-right party.
Furthermore, Elon Musk happens to own far too many satellites – or rather, it is the case that others own too few. The brave people in Ukraine are currently dependent on Elon Musk's satellite data and internet connections. Ultimately, it is a matter of life and death, and it is happening at the same time as I stand here and speak.
I return to China, Mr. Speaker. The Norwegian Storting has banned the use of both TikTok and Deepseek on the agency's various platforms. The US Supreme Court recently ruled that TikTok can be banned in the USA. In addition, it can be mentioned, as a small parenthesis, that even Donald Trump – with his grab them-strategies – owns a media platform. It is not so well-known, but also he has a platform of his own. It is called Truth Social.
A few years ago, Swedish courts made the decision to ban Chinese Huawei from expanding the 5G network. I think that was good, without criticizing the independent courts too much.
Mr. Speaker! What I mean, and what is actually my entire point, can be summarized with three proverbs. Live as one learns. A small tuft often tips large loads. A chain is never stronger than its weakest link. Those were three proverbs. Let me add a fourth: The devil is in the details.
My point, therefore, is that it is not possible to speak generally about a new foreign policy strategy without commenting on individual cases and individual platforms that we live with here and now.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.