Swedish Police Chief: Criminals should not have a free zone online

National Police Commissioner Petra Lundh is calling for enhanced police powers to combat crime in digital spaces. She asserts that the same legal protections afforded to individuals in physical public areas must extend to the online world, allowing authorities to intervene effectively.

Lundh highlights the critical need for society to act decisively when children are recruited for serious crimes, such as murder, via digital platforms. She argues that intervention should occur before a crime is committed, preventing tragedies rather than merely investigating them afterward. This proactive stance is crucial for safeguarding vulnerable individuals.

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The same laws that protect people on the street must also apply online. The police must be given better opportunities to intervene against criminality in digital environments.

"The same laws that protect people on the street must also apply online," Lundh writes. "The police must be given better opportunities to intervene against criminality in digital environments."

She further elaborates on the urgency, stating, "When a child is recruited for a murder mission via a digital platform, society must be able to act before the shot is fired and not just investigate the crime afterward."

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When a child is recruited for a murder mission via a digital platform, society must be able to act before the shot is fired and not just investigate the crime afterward.