Privacy and criminal protection SOU 2016-7

IT&Telecom companies have submitted their views on "Privacy and Criminal Protection" - the report of the inquiry on a modern and strong criminal law protection of personal privacy.

Consumers and users feeling secure and confident when using the products and services provided by the industry is a prerequisite for the industry to continue to grow and contribute to the development of society.

Online threats and abuse are therefore something that all serious players in the industry take very seriously. They have clear moral and business interests in ensuring that their respective platforms are safe and welcoming.

IT&Telecom companies share the view that online threats and abuse challenge democracy, and that there is a need for the protection of both freedom of expression and privacy to be adapted to better reflect current social and technological developments. The need to balance these rights against each other is crucial to achieve effective legislation.

Against this backdrop, we welcome the government's initiative to investigate.

Read the full response to the consultation

The overall task of the inquiry was to conduct a broad review of the protection of individuals' personal integrity under criminal law, particularly with regard to threats and other violations. The task has been to analyze whether the criminal law protection is appropriate or whether it should be changed.