M's promise on dating repeats past mistakes

Sweden's justice minister and the youth wing of the Moderate Party have proposed a new election pledge: enhanced safety measures for dating apps. The plan would allow women to verify if a potential date has a criminal record for serious violent or sexual offenses. While the need for such measures is acknowledged, a business leader is sounding the alarm, drawing parallels to past legislative missteps.

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Background checks are an effective tool for preventing and combating crime. But politics is on its way to introducing special rules in the same problematic way as with camera surveillance.

Joakim Söderström, a business executive and former national manager for police camera surveillance, argues that this proposal mirrors the problematic approach taken with camera surveillance laws. He criticizes the tendency for politicians to introduce specific regulations for isolated issues, likening it to a "Whac-A-Mole" game where each new problem is met with a separate, piecemeal rule. Söderström points out that this isn't exclusive to the Moderates, noting that the Social Democrats have also proposed specific background checks, albeit for municipal employees.

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The need is real and the purpose is commendable. But as the former national manager for police camera surveillance, I recognize the pattern: one need at a time, one special rule at a time. Camera surveillance is the outcome of what that leads to. Now politics is on its way to making the same mistake with background checks.

Söderström uses the history of camera surveillance in Sweden as a cautionary tale. He explains how a restrictive permit system initially made widespread surveillance difficult, even where needed. Over 17 years, a series of exceptions were gradually introduced for various sectors like retail, public transport, and law enforcement. This created a complex web of rules, leading to boundary issues and unpredictability. It was only in 2025 that a general abolition of the permit requirement occurred, while still maintaining requirements for legal basis, proportionality, documentation, and oversight.

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This is not a Moderate problem. It is the logic of politics. The Social Democrats' candidate for justice minister, Teresa Carvalho, has demanded expanded background checks – but only for municipal employees. M raises dating. S raises municipalities. The needs are legitimate and rarely new; they become politically visible one at a time, not infrequently after high-profile incidents.

Now, Söderström sees a similar pattern emerging with background checks. He cites the example of Södertälje municipality's background checks being deemed unlawful by the Justitieombudsman (JO) in 2023, prompting the government to fast-track regulations. However, these initial regulations only covered municipalities, excluding other sectors like regions, state agencies, and the business community, despite their legitimate needs. Further specific exceptions have since been introduced for various bodies, including the Swedish Gambling Authority, schools, parts of the justice system, and social insurance agencies, with more planned. Söderström warns that this creates a fragmented and inconsistent approach, failing to address the core challenge of balancing societal security with individual privacy.

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The result becomes Whac-A-Mole legislation: the next need that pops up is struck down with the next special rule. The fundamental problem remains.