News · Tech · Published 11 July 2026
Swedish privacy watchdog begins oversight of police live facial recognition
IMY will receive notifications, check authorised uses and report annually to the European Commission under the EU AI Act.
DailySweden Editorial Desk
Updated 00:37 · 3 min read
Listen to this articleNarrated - 9:12
Sweden's privacy regulator has begun a new role overseeing police use of live artificial-intelligence facial recognition.
From 1 July 2026, the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection, known as IMY, is the market-surveillance authority responsible for the Police Authority's and Security Service's use of real-time biometric remote identification.
The assignment gives IMY three main tasks. It will receive notifications when these AI systems are used, conduct market surveillance under the EU AI Act, and check that each use complies with the decision that authorised it. IMY must also report annually to the European Commission.
IMY will receive notifications, check authorised uses and report annually to the European Commission under the EU AI Act.
The technology is tightly restricted. Under the EU AI Act, real-time biometric remote identification in public spaces is generally prohibited when used for law-enforcement purposes.
Tech essentials
The regulation allows exceptions, and Sweden has chosen to permit the technology under specified conditions. The Police Authority and the Security Service may use it only when it is absolutely necessary to locate or identify a particular person.
The reasons for using the system must also outweigh the intrusion caused by the measure. That means the technology is not presented as a general surveillance power; each permitted use must be tied to a defined person and pass a necessity and proportionality test.
What happens now
Different authorities approve the measure depending on its purpose. A prosecutor authorises use intended to prevent crime. A court authorises use connected with investigating or prosecuting an offence.
IMY's role is separate from those authorisation decisions. The regulator will monitor whether police use follows the applicable decision and the requirements of the AI Act.
For the public, the change creates a formal oversight channel around one of the most sensitive applications of artificial intelligence. Facial recognition in real time can identify people remotely in public places, which is why the default position in EU law is a ban.
The Swedish exceptions remain narrow on the regulator's description: the technology must be absolutely necessary, directed at a specific person, and justified against the privacy intrusion involved.
IMY updated its guidance on the new assignment on 8 July. Its annual reporting to the European Commission will provide continuing scrutiny of how the exceptional power is used in Sweden.
DailySweden Editorial Desk
Original DailySweden guide desk. We write practical Sweden explainers for newcomers and update them when official guidance changes.
Contact the editorial desk ›
