FRA law

The FRA law ("FRA-lagen" in Swedish) is a Swedish legislative package that authorizes the state to warrantlessly wiretap all telephone and Internet traffic that crosses Sweden's borders. It was passed by the Parliament of Sweden on on June 18, 2008, by a vote of 143 to 138 (with one delegate abstaining and 67 delegates not present) [cite web
title = Redovisning förslagspunkter 2007/08:FöU15/Omröstning i sakfrågan
url = http://www.riksdagen.se/webbnav/?nid=3154&rm=2007/08&bet=F%C3%B6U15
publisher = Riksdagen
language = Swedish] and is set to take effect on January 1, 2009.

In more detail, "FRA-law" is the common name for a new law as well as several modifications to existing laws, formally called Government proposal 2006/07:63 – Changes to defence intelligence activities (Swedish "proposition 2006/07:63 – En anpassad försvarsunderrättelseverksamhet"). It was introduced as anti-terrorism legislation, and gives the government agency Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA, Swedish "Försvarets radioanstalt") the right to conduct signals intelligence on - to intercept - all internet exchange points that exchange traffic that crosses Swedish borders, though experts argue that it is impossible to differentiate between international traffic and traffic between Swedes. [ cite web
title = Sweden approves wiretapping law
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7463333.stm
publisher = BBC
language = English]

News reports from Sweden's state broadcast network [cite news
first = Filip
last = Struwe
title = FRA lagrar svenska telesamtal och mejl
url = http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?a=1175152
publisher = SVT
date = 2008-06-16
accessdate = 2008-06-23
language = Swedish ] and other sources [cite news
title = FRA har samlat data i tio år
url = http://www.dn.se/?a=794486
publisher = Dagens Nyheter
date = 2008-06-16
accessdate = 2008-06-23
language = Swedish ] report that FRA have in fact been conducting eavesdropping on Swedish citizens for a decade. According to the Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment's General Director, Ingvar Åkesson, they destroy the data collected after eighteen months, but they confirm that they have, in fact, been collecting information not just on foreigners but also on Swedes as the presence of Swedish search terms used on the data would indicate.

Protests and criticism

The law has met protests and opposition all across the Swedish political landscape, with even the youth organisations of the parties in the ruling government coalition being against it. Practically all major newspapers have spoken out against the law, along with lobbying organisations such as the Swedish Union of Journalists and the Swedish Bar Association. Telecom and internet companies such as Google, Bahnhof and TeliaSonera shun the law, and there is concern that the law may repel foreign investment in Sweden. The law may result in Sweden being tried by European Court of Human Rights. [cite news
title = FRA: Belgien ställer Sverige inför Strasbourgsdomstolen
url = http://projo.se/2008/06/21/fra-belgien-staller-sverige-infor-strassbourgsdomstolen/
publisher = projo
date = 2008-02-21
accessdate = 2008-07-11
language = Swedish ] Protests and rallies are regularly held in the capital Stockholm and in other major cities. [cite news
title = Swedes Massively Protest Wiretap Law
url = http://torrentfreak.com/swedes-massively-protest-wiretap-law-080707/
publisher = Torrentfreak
date = 2008-07-07
accessdate = 2008-07-11
language = English ] The Danish National Church have stated they are worried about the law, and a politician of the Danish Socialist People's Party wants the Danish government to send an official protest to Fredrik Reinfeldt, prime minister of Sweden.Fact|date=July 2008 The Finnish government has already done so.Fact|date=July 2008

Also quite recently, a group of right-wing politicians banded together to work against the law.Fact|date=August 2008

On August 8, 2008 Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that a recent poll suggests 51% of the Swedes are against the law [cite news
title = 51% mot FRA idag
url = http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article3055530.ab
publisher = Aftonbladet
date = 2008-08-08
accessdate = 2008-08-08
language = Swedish ] , as compared to 47% in June 2008. It also claims that the trust in Sweden's prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, might be in danger.

ee also

* Criticism of the FRA law
* Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment
* ECHELON
* ANCHORY SIGINT intercept database
* Cabinet noir
* Frenchelon
* Mass surveillance
* Onyx (interception system), the Swiss "Echelon" equivalent
* Privacy

References