Wednesday evening the Swedish Parlament voted for a new law allowing the National Defence Radio Establishment, the Swedish national authority for signals intelligence (FRA in Swedish), to scan emails and phone calls to and from Sweden for content that might be deemed a threat to the national security.

A truly Orwellian system is being put in place. The more cynical among us would rather say that they finally has passed a law that now legalise what has been going on all the time. Either way, just so you know out there. If your phone traffic or email is routed via connections in Sweden (which is common even if you are not calling to Sweden) there is someone, or at least a machine, listening. And with some (un-)luck you might even end up in a database as a potential threat. Exciting stuff to call or email Sweden in the future!

Scary and pretty strong breach of personal integrity if you ask me. The reactions have been pretty strong since the MPs have totally missed what a deeply rooted opposition there is among the people they serve in the constituencies. If I were one of the 143 MPs that voted for this new law, I would not hold my breath to get re-elected in the next general election.

Similarly I would not like to be the system administrator at the Swedish Parlament or the National Defence Radio Establisment after the recent suggestions from people that organised opposition against the law that all Swedish citizens whenever they send an email they  cc both the MPs who voted for this law and the FRA. Pretty cool idea, sort of a self-policing low-budget system version of this 1984/George Orwell law we now have to live with.

You have been warned!