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https://nordictimes.com/tech/sweden-is-on-the-verge-of-becoming-technologically-peripheral-think-tank/

Tech

Sweden on the verge of becoming technologically peripheral – think tank

Published 17 October 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Fredrik Erixon, head of the think tank ECIPE, writes in an opinion piece that Sweden is one of the major losers in the new wave of global protectionism, which he sees spreading rapidly.

He argues that “Sweden is making a downward technological class journey” and that the country is quickly becoming more “peripheral” in a range of technology-related fields.

Erixon, who has a background at the investment bank JP Morgan and the neoliberal think tank Timbro, points out that the U.S. under recent presidents has distanced itself from “the economic world order that emerged after World War II” and instead shifted toward increased protectionism—believing that the current world economic order “is not capable of handling new geopolitical conflicts”.

“That attitude also extends to climate policy: the US, like the EU now as well, no longer accepts an international climate policy framework where China can continue a fossil-fueled economic expansion while Western companies become less competitive due to rising energy costs. The world economy is moving into a protectionist spiral”, he continues.

According to the lobbyist, “Sweden is one of the major losers” in this new era of protectionism – because “we are too small an economy to play hardball when dealing with economic frictions”.

“Sweden cannot compete based on the power of large numbers: we don’t have a population size that allows us to influence other countries with dazzling consumer demand, investments, natural resources, and so on. They can manage without us. At the same time, we are enormously dependent on economic openness for our prosperity and for access to services and technologies from the rest of the world”.

“Once at the forefront”

He also raises a warning about what he sees as Sweden’s tendency to align with an “EU policy that is more inward-looking and fearful of competition”, arguing that particularly “high-tech and research-intensive sectors” in Sweden have suffered under EU policies, and that Sweden’s passivity has damaged its geoeconomic influence.

“Sweden is making a downward technological class journey. In recent years, the government has created various incentives for a larger share of investments to go to ‘mid-tech’ technologies like batteries and green steel. The GDP effect from these technologies is limited. In major transversal technologies like materials, AI and quantum technology, telecommunications and space technology, and biotechnology, Sweden is becoming increasingly peripheral—even though we were once at the forefront of these technologies and their commercialization”, he laments.

Calls for government investment

According to Erixon, the solution is for the authorities to start using their “state capacity” to improve Sweden’s geoeconomic position -through targeted political efforts and by offering businesses “better tax incentives and more attractive conditions for research-intensive activities and human capital to locate in Sweden”.

“Especially in transversal technologies – that is, technologies expected to drive much of future innovation and structural transformation in the economy”, he continues.

He concludes with a recommendation that the government’s spending on research and development should be “at least” 5 percent of GDP within ten years – and that the state should begin by allocating an additional 500 billion SEK to strategic research over the coming decade.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/tech/lock-down-your-mac/

Tech

Lock down your Mac

Naomi Brockwell

No Apple ID, no tracking, no nonsense.

Published today 8:16
– By Naomi Brockwell

Apple markets itself as a privacy-focused company. And compared to Google or Microsoft, it is. But let’s be clear: Apple is still collecting a lot of your data.

If you want the most private computer setup, your best option is to switch to Linux. Not everyone is ready to take that step though, and many might prefer to keep their existing computer instead.

If you want to keep your current device but make it more private, what are your options?

Windows is basically a privacy disaster. Privacy expert Michael Bazzell says in his book Extreme Privacy:

“I do not believe any modern Microsoft Windows system is capable of providing a secure or private environment for our daily computing needs. Windows is extremely vulnerable to malicious software and their telemetry of user actions is worse than Apple’s. I do not own a Windows computer and I encourage you to avoid them for any sensitive tasks”.

If you want to keep your Mac without handing over your digital life to Apple, there are ways to lock it down and make it more private.

In this article, I’ll walk you through how to set up a Mac for better privacy—from purchasing the computer to tweaking your system settings, installing tools, and blocking unwanted data flows.

We’ll be following the setup laid out by Michael Bazzell in Extreme Privacy, with some added tips from my own experience.

We also made a video tutorial that you can follow along.

You don’t need to do everything. Each chapter is modular. But if you follow the full guide, you’ll end up with a Mac that doesn’t require an Apple ID, doesn’t leak constant data, and gives you control over your digital environment.

Buying your Mac

Choose a model that still gets security updates

Apple eventually drops support for older devices. A privacy-hardened system isn’t useful if it doesn’t receive security updates.

Two helpful sites:

Pay with cash in a physical store

If you buy a Mac with a credit card, the serial number is forever linked to your identity.
Cash keeps you anonymous. You might get strange looks, but it’s completely within your rights. Be polite. Be firm. They’ll grumble. That’s fine.

Fresh install of macOS

If it’s a refurbished Mac—or even brand new—it’s worth doing a clean install.

Update macOS

  • System Settings > General > Software Update
  • Install updates, reboot, and reach the welcome screen.

Erase all content

  • System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings
  • Enter your password, confirm warnings
  • Your Mac will restart and erase itself

This restores factory defaults: user data and settings are gone, but the OS remains installed.

Optional: Wipe the disk completely (advanced)

If you want a truly clean install, you’ll need to manually erase the entire internal disk. Only do this if you’re comfortable in recovery mode.

Modern Macs split the system into two parts—a sealed system volume and a data volume—tied together with something called firmlinks. If you don’t erase both correctly, you can end up with phantom volumes that clog your disk and break things silently.

Steps:

  • Enter Recovery Mode:
    • Apple Silicon: Hold power > click “Options”
    • Intel: Hold Command + R on boot
  • Open Disk Utility
  • Click View > Show All Devices
  • Select the top-level physical disk (e.g., “Apple SSD”)
  • Click Erase
    • Name: Macintosh HD
    • Format: APFS
    • Scheme: GUID Partition Map

Warning: Skip “Show All Devices” or erase the wrong item and you could brick your Mac. Only do this if you understand what you’re doing.

Once erased, return to the recovery menu and choose Reinstall macOS.

First boot setup

macOS wants to immediately link your device to iCloud and Apple services. Stay offline as long as possible.

Setup tips:

  • Region: Choose your location
  • Accessibility: Skip
  • Wi-Fi: Click “Other Network Options” > “My computer does not connect to the internet”
  • Data & Privacy: Continue
  • Migration Assistant: Skip (we’re starting fresh!)
  • Apple ID: Choose “Set up later”
  • Terms: Agree
  • Computer Name: Use a generic name like Laptop or Computer
  • Password: Strong and memorable. No hint. Write it down somewhere safe.
  • Location Services: Off
  • Time Zone: Set manually
  • Analytics: Off
  • Screen Time: Skip
  • Siri: Skip
  • Touch ID: Optional
  • Display Mode: Your choice

Harden system settings

Wi-fi & bluetooth

  • System Settings > Wi-Fi: Turn off
    • Disable “Ask to join networks” and “Ask to join hotspots”
  • System Settings > Bluetooth: Turn off

Firewall (built-In)

  • System Settings > Network > Firewall: Turn on
    • Disable “Automatically allow built-in software…”
    • Disable “Automatically allow downloaded signed software…”
    • Enable Stealth Mode
    • Remove any pre-approved entries

Notifications

  • System Settings > Notifications
    • Show Previews: Never
    • Turn off for Lock Screen, Sleep, and Mirroring
    • Manually disable for each app

Sound settings

  • System Settings > Sound
    • Alert Volume: Minimum
    • Disable sound effects and interface feedback

AirDrop & sharing

  • System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff: Turn everything off
  • System Settings > General > Sharing: Disable all toggles

Siri & Apple Intelligence

  • System Settings > Siri & Dictation: Disable all
  • Disable Apple Intelligence and per-app Siri access

Switch time server

Your Mac pings Apple to sync the time—leaking your IP every time it does.
Switch to a decentralized time server instead.

How:

  • System Settings > General > Date & Time
  • Click “Set…” > Enter password
  • Enter: pool.ntp.org
  • Click Done

Spotlight & gatekeeper

Spotlight

  • System Settings > Spotlight: Turn off “Help Apple improve search”

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper prevents you from opening non-Apple-approved apps and sends app data to Apple.

If you’re a confident user, disable it:

  • Terminal: sudo spctl --master-disable
  • System Settings > Privacy & Security: Allow apps from anywhere

FileVault & lockdown mode

FileVault

Encrypt your entire disk:

  • System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault: Turn on
  • Choose “Create a recovery key and do not use iCloud”
  • Write down your recovery key. Store it OFF your computer.

Lockdown mode (Optional)

Restricts features like USB accessories, AirDrop, and others. Useful for high-risk users.

Customize appearance & finder

Desktop & dock

  • Disable “Show Suggested and Recent Apps”
  • Disable “Recent apps in Stage Manager”

Wallpaper

Use a solid color instead of version-specific defaults to reduce your system’s fingerprint.

Lock screen

  • Screensaver: Never
  • Require password: Immediately
  • Sleep timer: Your preference (e.g. 1 hour)

Finder preferences

  • Show all file extensions
  • Hide Recents and Tags
  • Set default folder to Documents
  • View hidden files: Shift + Command + .

Block outbound connections

macOS and many apps connect to servers without asking. You’ll want to monitor and block them.

Use Little Snitch (or LuLu)

Browser

Install a privacy-respecting browser like Brave or Mullvad.

Compare options at privacytests.org

VPN

Use trusted providers like Mullvad or ProtonVPN.

Be careful which VPN you download — they’re often scamware and data collection tools.
Watch this video for more

Optional: Use Homebrew

Instead of the App Store, install software via Homebrew.

We’ll cover this more in a future guide.

Final takeaways

If you followed this guide, you now have:

  • A Mac with no Apple ID
  • No iCloud tether
  • Full disk encryption (FileVault)
  • A silent firewall
  • Blocked outbound connections
  • A private browser and VPN setup

You’ve taken serious steps to reclaim your digital autonomy. Well done.

In an upcoming guide, we’ll explore how to take the next step: switching to Linux.

Thanks again to Michael Bazzell for his work.

Find his book Extreme Privacy at: inteltechniques.com/book7.html

 

Yours in privacy,
Naomi

Naomi Brockwell is a privacy advocacy and professional speaker, MC, interviewer, producer, podcaster, specialising in blockchain, cryptocurrency and economics. She runs the NBTV channel on Youtube.

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/all-stockholm-parties-approve-parachute-deal-for-ex-politician-accused-of-sex-crime/

Sweden

All Stockholm parties approve parachute deal for ex-politician accused of sex crime

The corruption in Sweden

Published yesterday 7:19
– By Editorial Staff
Gustav Hemming himself has admitted the deed - but denies the crime.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

All parties in Region Stockholm have decided that the suspected sex offender and former Centre Party top Gustav Hemming should be granted a tax-funded parachute of almost SEK 12 million (€1.1 million). This is as long as he is not convicted of crimes that are considered particularly serious.

The Nordic Times has previously highlighted the Center Party’s former regional councilor in Stockholm, who was forced to resign after it was discovered that he masturbated in front of a 13-year-old boy on public transport.

The newspaper has also reported on how Hemming has been very upset about the delayed announcement of the multi-million dollar parachute he applied for when he left office. The C-top has, among other things, troubled Region Stockholm with repeated emails demanding to know whether or not he will receive taxpayers’ money.

However, it is now clear that all parties in Region Stockholm support the suspected sex offender being granted  €1.1 million of taxpayers’ money – as long as he is not convicted of a crime that is considered particularly serious.

“Gustav Hemming has been charged with a crime. If he is convicted of crimes of a certain severity committed during his time as an elected official, the conditions exist for the regional council to decide, under the terms of PRF-KL, that fixed-term pensions should no longer be paid”, reads the decision, which the Bonnier newspaper Expressen has taken note of in its entirety.

Has admitted the deed

What “crime of a certain degree of severity” means in practice is not clear, but the parachute agreement is about a fixed-term pension of SEK 77,594 (€7,100) a month from December 1, 2024 to September 30, 2037 – that is, for the rest of Gustav Hemming’s professional life.

It can also be mentioned that Hemming admitted that he masturbated in front of the boy, but that he himself claims that he perceived the 13-year-old as much older and describes the whole thing as a “unplanned sexualized flirtation“.

– I perceived a reciprocity that can be sexually arousing in an anonymous environment, he claims in interrogation.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-government-pledges-to-deport-more-criminals/

Sweden

Swedish government pledges to deport more criminals

Migration crisis in Europe

Published 14 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Johan Forsell, the proposed changes are "ultimately about redress for victims of crime".
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

More people will be deported for crimes – and fewer will be able to return to Sweden after deportation. That was the government’s message when a new report was presented on Wednesday.

Migration Minister Johan Forssell (M) believes that the number of deported criminals will be “sixfold” and claims that “Sweden will now have the toughest regulations for criminal deportations in the entire Nordic region”.

The governing parties and the Sweden Democrats have long argued that they want to deport more foreigners who commit crimes in Sweden – and now a report has been produced with proposals on how this should be done in practice.

One of the proposals is that perpetrators should be deported for all crimes carrying a more severe penalty than a fine – regardless of whether there is considered to be a risk of reoffending or not.

Another proposal is that prosecutors should be required by law to seek deportation “if the crime is grounds for deportation” – which would be a major change from the current situation, where each prosecutor makes this assessment themselves.

Furthermore, there is a desire to “strengthen the balance between the reasons for and against deportation” and to base future decisions on the minimum requirements set by the EU, without making more generous interpretations than necessary.

More lifetime re-entry bans

It will also be easier than today to deport criminals who came to Sweden before the age of 15. In future, it will not be a general court but the Swedish Migration Agency that will examine any obstacles to enforcement in connection with the expulsion decision.

The fact that deported criminals have been able to return to Sweden freely just a few years after their deportation has long been a source of frustration in society, and it is now proposed that re-entry bans should in many cases be longer or completely permanent.

“If the severity of the crime corresponds to imprisonment for less than six months, the re-entry ban shall normally be set at five years. If the punishment corresponds to imprisonment for six months or more but not imprisonment for one year and six months, the re-entry ban shall normally be set at ten years. For higher penalties than this, i.e., imprisonment for one year and six months or more, the re-entry ban shall, as a general rule, not be limited in time”, the government writes in a press release.

“Justice for the victims”

Finally, the penalties for staying in the country in violation of a re-entry ban will be tightened, and anyone who employs a person who does not have the right to stay in Sweden will also be punished more severely than is currently the case. The constitutional amendments are proposed to enter into force on January 1, 2027.

– It’s time to stop coddling people who come to Sweden and commit crimes. The number of deportations due to criminal offenses is expected to increase sixfold under the inquiry’s proposals. Step by step, we are making Swedish migration policy more just. Ultimately, this is about justice for the victims, said Migration Minister Johan Forssell.

– Sweden will now have the toughest regulations for criminal deportations in the entire Nordic region, he continues.

If the number of people sentenced to deportation for crimes were to increase sixfold, this would mean around 3,000 deportation decisions per year, compared with around 500 today.

Home countries do not want to take back their citizens

However, a recurring problem has long been that the former home countries do not want to accept their criminal citizens.

Many criminals in Sweden today come from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia, but despite deportation orders, it is usually not possible to enforce deportations to these and many other countries – and they instead remain in Sweden. The parties in the current coalition have not yet presented any concrete solution to this problem.

It should also be noted that under the Moderate Party’s leadership, Sweden has continued to receive around 100,000 migrants annually, and critics argue that stricter deportation measures will have limited effect as long as mass immigration is not also stopped. Under current legislation, migrants who have been convicted of crimes and have obtained Swedish citizenship cannot be deported.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/economy/swedish-state-secretary-bought-saab-shares-day-before-hungary-gripen-deal-announcement/

Economy

Swedish state secretary bought Saab shares day before Hungary Gripen deal announcement

The corruption in Sweden

Published 14 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Many defend Janse on the grounds that the sums involved are relatively small - but experts say that doesn't matter.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The day before it was announced that Hungary would purchase four Jas 39 Gripen aircraft from Sweden – a deal worth around SEK 2 billion (€180 million) – State Secretary Diana Janse (M) bought shares in Saab, the company that manufactures the aircraft.

Although the sums involved are relatively small, experts believe that this action is deeply inappropriate and risks damaging public confidence in the government.

Hungary was the last country to approve Sweden’s heavily criticized NATO application, and an agreement was also reached between the countries that included a deal on the sale of Swedish fighter jets.

Saab’s shares also rose sharply when the deal became known – something that benefited State Secretary Diana Janse, who had bought shares in the arms manufacturer for just under SEK 10,000 (€900) the day before the announcement.

– She bought several shares that day and did not give any special consideration to the timing, commented Trade Minister Benjamin Dousas (M) press secretary to the tabloid Aftonbladet, which first reported the share purchase.

At the time, Janse was working for the then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Johan Forssell, and today she holds the same position, but under Benjamin Dousa. She denies that she had any prior knowledge of the deal.

– A state secretary participates in preparations within their area of responsibility. This means that not all state secretaries participate in or are informed about all preparations that come to the ministry. At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the cabinet secretary is responsible for issues relating to NATO, said her press secretary.

“Should keep a safe distance”

However, not everyone is impressed by the explanations, and Claes Sandgren, senior professor of law at Stockholm University and former chairman of the Swedish Anti-Corruption Institute, believes that the action is directly damaging to public trust.

– Considering that she was State Secretary with political responsibility for trade issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that the agreement was coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, her share purchase appears clearly inappropriate.

– There is a ban on insider trading for anyone with insider information. They must keep a safe distance from anything that could be perceived as improper. According to the guidelines, such actions can damage confidence in the government, he continues.

It is often difficult to determine exactly who had insider information and who did not, especially since those accused almost always deny such allegations. However, Sandgren believes that similar allegations of corruption can easily be avoided and that neither politicians nor state secretaries should manage their own share purchases.

– Given her central position, she should, like ministers, not engage in share trading herself but place her holdings in an independent custody account with a bank.

Recurring scandals

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that high-ranking representatives of the Moderate-led government have made questionable private share purchases in companies with which the Swedish state does business. In March, the newspaper reported how Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) bought shares in the Swedish defense and IT company Mildef.

This purchase took place at the same time as the Swedish government was negotiating a multi-billion order from the arms industry – where Mildef was one of the companies that benefited financially from the deal.

As in the case of Diana Janse, many supporters defended the purchase on the grounds that the amounts involved were relatively small – around SEK 10,000 (€900)– arguing that this is pocket change for a minister.

However, according to Daniel Stattin, professor of civil law at Uppsala University, the size of the purchase is of little significance in this context: “The principle is really the same: make sure you don’t do business where independence or self-interest can be called into question”.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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