DI is a central administrative authority tasked with protecting peoples private lives in the IT society. This protection shall be provided without unnecessarily obstructing or impeding the use of new technology.
It issues regulations and general recommendations and gives opinions on reports from commissions of enquiry and on government bills. Great importance is attached to preventive work, above all through the medium of information and regulatory activity.

The Data Inspection Board's task is also to protect the individual's privacy in the information society without unnecessarily preventing or complicating the use of new technology. The Board supervises that authorities, companies, organizations and individuals follow the Personal Data Act (1998), the Data Act (1973), the Debt Recovery Act (1974) and the Credit Information Act (1973).

The Board works to prevent encroachment upon privacy through information and by issuing directives and codes of statutes. It also handles complaints and carries out inspections. By examining government bills it ensures that new laws and ordinances protect personal data in an adequate manner.

The Data Inspection Board
Box 8114
S-104 20 Stockholm
Sweden

Telephone +46 8 657 61 00
Telefax +46 8 652 86 52
datainspektionen@datainspektionen.se  

LAWS
The Data Inspection Board is the super-visory authority for compliance with the Personal Data Act, the Data Act, the Credit Information Act and the Debt Recovery Act.
The Personal Data Act (PDA)
The purpose of PDA is to protect people against infringement of their privacy through the processing of personal data. The Act came into force on 24th October 1998, superseding the 1973 Data Act. Both Acts will apply, however, for a transitional period until 1st October 2001. The Data Act is applied to processing of personal data commenced before 24th October 1998, and PDA for processing commenced after that date.
PDA is based on common rules adopted within the EU, in the form of the Directive on Data Protection. The Act applies to processing of personal data as is wholly or partly automated and also to manually compiled personal files. Purely private processing of personal data is excluded.
Exemptions are also made in deference to the principle of public access to official documents and to the freedom of the press and freedom of expression. In addition, special provisions of other enactments take precedence over the provisions of PDA.
PDA defines basic stipulations concerning the processing of personal data and indicates when processing is permitted. Specially restrictive provisions apply concerning the processing of sensitive data. The Act is to a great extent based on the consent of the registered person. It also contains provisions on information to the persons registered, on the rectification of personal data and on security in processing.
One main rule is that data processing of personal data shall be notified to the Data Inspection Board, where the notifications are entered in a public register. Extensive exemptions to this duty of notification are prescribed in the Act itself, in the Personal Data Ordinance and in regulations issued by the Data Inspection Board.