An investigator suggested in May 2023 that police would be able to intercept communications in encrypted apps in order to combat serious crime. The proposal would require apps like Signal and Whatsapp to store all messages sent.
In a draft of a legislative proposal last fall, the government proposed that the law would come into force in March 2026, but that will not happen.
According to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M), it has been more complex to draft the law than expected, while at the same time wanting to synchronize with the work underway at the EU level.
"We will come back with a timetable," he tells DN.
The proposal is controversial because it would require encrypted services to build in backdoors to be able to hand over information to police and prosecutors.
At the Liberal Party's national meeting, a majority supported a motion to change the proposal so that encrypted services are protected, and according to DN, the Sweden Democrats are also critical of breaking encrypted services.
Furthermore, the Swedish Armed Forces have warned that the law could lead to vulnerabilities being exploited by third parties. The agency itself uses the Signal app for certain classified information.
