Scandinavian Security Forces Step Up Surveillance

A Finnish working group has proposed amendments to the Constitution in order to drastically widen the scope of Finland's Security Intelligence Service (Supo). Accordingly, Supo's intelligence-gathering power is to be expanded both domestically and abroad.

At present, Supo is already authorized to track people, tap phones and monitor other communications on suspicions of terrorism, espionage and treason. According to the suggestions by the civilian working group, Supo should be granted the right to conduct intelligence without requiring any suspicion of crime. Accordingly, Supo will be allowed to secretly intervene in citizens' post and communications to obtain information about clandestine military activities or anything that "seriously threatens public safety."

According to Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat, the proposal marks a departure from Supo's traditional role of revealing, preventing and investigating crime to the proactive collecting of intelligence about potential national security risks. Additionally, the proposal to give Supo the right to follow technical trails abroad would vest more power in the hands of the Supo director. In return, a new monitoring body would be established to oversee how the powers are used.

The working group chairman, Sami Manninen, dispelled public fears that the surveillance proposal would turn Finland into a police state. According to Manninen, international law and human rights treaties require that surveillance is limited and well-defined.

"This does not allow any mass surveillance, but rather in a limited and targeted way," Manninen told Finnish daily Hufvudstadsbladet.

The proposal to amend the Finnish constitution was submitted to Justice Minister Jari Lindström of the Finns Party. Lindström pinned the government's efforts to amend the legislation to the "general situation," including terrorism, and called for a broad public debate.

"I'm looking forward to a debate among all citizens, because it is a question of fundamental rights," Jari Lindström said, as quoted by Finnish newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet.

The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) is a national police unit operating under the Ministry of the Interior, and its core functions are counterintelligence, counterterrorism and security work. Supo operations are currently overseen by the parliamentary ombudsman, the data protection ombudsman and the chancellor of justice.

At the same time, Denmark, another Nordic nation, is intensifying efforts against extremism and radicalization. The focus is on the work against radicalization online, where the country's security forces are looking forward to obtaining the power to delete suspected terrorist propaganda. According to the recent government proposal, the Danish security police will be allowed to trace and remove the propaganda from the internet by entering the server and deleting the material. The authorities also expect to be able to block overseas domains which contain propaganda, Swedish Radio reported.