SWEDEN’S ATTEMPT at protecting its citizens from international terrorism through the infamous 'phone tapping' bill is generating some much-awaited backlash.

The bill, as you may remember, was (narrowly) passed on June 18th and, when made effective on January 1st 2009, will enable the National Defense Radio Establishment to tap into electronic communications that would cross the Swedish border. This would include any internet and phone traffic being routed through Sweden, including those not destined for Swedish recipients. The traffic will be analysed for dodgy content (that'll be our old friend terrorism) as a way of making the utterly neutral country safer to live in.

We’re sure Swedes are used to seeing government in a benign taking-care-of-business way; however, it seems this particular bill has been hard to swallow for the populace. Over 1.1 million emails have been sent to Swedish lawmakers since the bill was passed, reports AP, and considering these aren’t zombies, that's about one in every nine people in Sweden that have protested the bill. Things didn’t heat up earlier because the Swedes were held in thrall of Euro 2008, we guess.

Unfortunately, Sweden's government, which has a very strong civil and human rights tradition, has opened Pandora’s Box with this one. If it can do it, other less benign governments will add this schtick to their bag of tricks.

I’d really really hate to be the sysadmin at the Riksdag right now…

L’Inq
The AP