As an American-Brit who has been living in Sweden for a couple of years, I've always found it interesting that pretty much everyone I know here can be found at their home address simply by googling their name and clicking on hitta.se. When I show this to my British or American friends, they're always shocked, and I find myself explaining that "Swedes have a very different, more trusting, relationship with their government than Brits or Americans."
Personally, I've never had a problem arise from this, and neither has anyone I know here, but I've been here less than for two years. I love it here and I can see myself living here for the rest of my life (that is, if you'll have me! Soon time to renew my visa!)
But I find myself wondering: Has anyone here, or anyone you know, ever had a problem arise from their address being listed publicly? Strange people turning up at your door, weird post or packages, or something worse?
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The original was posted on /r/sweden by /u/adjectivenounnr at 2023-07-06 07:00:45+00:00.
lobax at 2023-07-06 10:14:30+00:00 ID:
jqvdvmtThis is not a difference in policy, the principles are exactly the same. The US and UK have virtually the exact same public record and freedom of information laws as Sweden does.
It’s a difference in execution: Swedish government agencies are highly digital and able to cater those requests with automated API’s. Those API’s where also not built for public records requests, but for government operations. The public records are just handled in the cheapest way possible - using those automated API’s.
The practical implications of this is not in Services like Hitta or Yellow pages, it’s in stuff like just being able to interact with a government agency online and without having to fill out a million forms with the same information each time.