NCJ Number
49670
Date Published
1977
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE PROVISIONS OF SWEDISH DATA ACT, DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE PERSONAL PRIVACY OF CITIZENS, ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
TO ENABLE THE SWEDISH DATA ACT TO BECOME FULLY OPERATIVE, IT WAS NECESSARY TO AMEND CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS ACT) IN ORDER TO PROVIDE REASONABLE GUARANTEES TO PERSONAL PRIVACY IN AN AGE OF COMPUTER FILES. ACCORDING TO A PRINCIPLE IN THE SWEDISH DATA ACT, ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SET UP A PERSONAL FILE CONTAINING INFORMATION ON CITIZENS MUST FIRST OBTAIN THE PERMISSION OF THE DATA INSPECTION BOARD, A BODY ESTABLISHED BY THE ACT AND MANDATED BY THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO GRANT LICENSES TO KEEPERS OF PERSONAL FILES AND TO MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE ACT. A LICENSE IS NORMALLY GRANTED IF THERE IS NO REASON TO ASSUME THAT UNDUE INFRINGEMENT OF THE REGISTERED PERSON'S PRIVACY WILL ARISE. FURTHER DETAILED CONDITIONS FOR GRANTING LICENSES ARE INDICATED. THE ACT ALSO SPECIFIES PROCEDURES FOR CORRECTING MISINFORMATION IN FILES AND NOTIFYING REGISTERED PERSONS OF THE CONTENTS OF THEIR FILES. THE ACT PROHIBITS RESPONSIBLE KEEPERS OF FILES FROM RELEASING ANY ITEM OF INFORMATION ABOUT A PERSON WHICH WILL BE MISUSED IN VIOLATION OF REGISTERED PERSONS' PRIVACY. THE PUNITIVE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT ARE DESCRIBED. KEEPERS OF FILES MAY LODGE APPEALS OF THE DATA INSPECTION BOARD'S DECISIONS TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE. THE CONSTITUENCY AND OPERATIONS OF THE DATA INSPECTION BOARD ARE DESCRIBED, ALONG WITH STATISTICS CONCERNING THEIR OPERATIONS. THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE ACT ARE INDICATED. (RCB)