IT&Telecom companies critical of new security protection law
On April 1 this year, the new Security Protection Act came into force. It now covers not only the public sector but also companies operating in the field. In the future, more detailed and stricter provisions will be introduced into the law through extensive supplements.
Unclear legislation raises concerns
We at IT&Telekomföretagen are very concerned about the uncertainty that the new legislation entails with regard to fundamental rights such as property protection, freedom to conduct business and the right to compensation for measures motivated by the public interest. If companies operating on the Swedish market face greater uncertainty and higher costs compared to companies in competitor countries, it may mean that companies choose to locate their operations outside Sweden. With fines of up to SEK 10 million for non-compliance, this has a negative impact on the country's competitiveness, growth and employment.
Small businesses could be affected
There are also problems with the design of the law with binary effects on companies regardless of their size. If a company is covered by the law, it is automatically required to have comprehensive procedures for handling secret information, shell protection and security classification of staff. Here, a reasonableness assessment needs to be made with better opportunities for exemptions for small companies, for example.
National security should be paid for by the state - not by individual companies
We at IT&Telekomföretagen are not opposed to the modernization and updating of security protection legislation, but when it comes to protecting the public interest, i.e. Sweden's national security, the costs for this should be paid for by public funds and not by certain individual companies.
Mikael Eklund
Industrial policy expert IT&Telecom companies