Saturday, May 31, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Swedish government launches AI inquiry

Published 26 September 2024
– By Editorial Staff

The Swedish government has decided to review legislation on the use of AI in Sweden to ensure that Swedish rules are in line with the new EU AI Regulation.

The new EU AI Regulation, which came into effect on 1 August this year, will create a common set of rules for the development and use of AI systems in the EU. It aims to ensure a high level of safety, health and protection of fundamental rights for all EU citizens.

The government has now decided to set up an inquiry to examine “the need for national adjustments” in Swedish laws to bring them into line with the regulation.

– We are in the midst of a technological change where AI has great potential to change the way we work in many sectors and in many parts of society. With this inquiry, we are taking an important step to ensure that AI is used in a way that is safe, reliable and in line with our fundamental values, said Minister for Civil Affairs Erik Slottner in a press release.

The inquiry will propose any necessary legislative changes, as well as measures for transparency and control. Helena Rosén Andersson has been appointed as the investigator and will report no later than 30 September 2025.

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KYC is the crime

The Coinbase hack shows how state-mandated surveillance is putting lives at risk.

Published today 7:36
– By Naomi Brockwell

Last week, Coinbase got hacked.

Hackers demanded a $20 million ransom after breaching a third-party system. They didn’t get passwords or crypto keys. But what they did get will put lives at risk:

  • Names
  • Home addresses
  • Phone numbers
  • Partial Social Security numbers
  • Identity documents
  • Bank info

That’s everything someone needs to impersonate you, blackmail you, or show up at your front door.

This isn’t hypothetical. There’s a growing wave of kidnappings and extortion targeting people with crypto exposure. Criminals are using leaked identity data to find victims and hold them hostage.

Let’s be clear: KYC doesn’t just put your data at risk. It puts people at risk.

Naturally, people are furious at any company that leaks their information.

But here’s the bigger issue:
No system is unhackable.
Every major institution, from the IRS to the State Department, has suffered breaches.
Protecting sensitive data at scale is nearly impossible.

And Coinbase didn’t want to collect this data.
Many companies don’t. It’s a massive liability.
They’re forced to, by law.

A new, dangerous normal

KYC, Know Your Customer, has become just another box to check.

Open a bank account? Upload your ID.
Use a crypto exchange? Add your selfie and utility bill.
Sign up for a payment app? Same thing.

But it wasn’t always this way.

Until the 1970s, you could walk into a bank with cash and open an account. Your financial life was private by default.

That changed with the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, which required banks to start collecting and reporting customer activity to the government. Still, KYC wasn’t yet formalized. Each bank decided how well they needed to know someone. If you’d been a customer since childhood, or had a family member vouch for you, that was often enough.

Then came the Patriot Act, which turned KYC into law. It required every financial institution to collect, verify, and store identity documents from every customer, not just for large or suspicious transactions, but for basic access to the financial system.

From that point on, privacy wasn’t the default. It was erased.

The real-world cost

Today, everyone is surveilled all the time.
We’ve built an identity dragnet, and people are being hurt because of it.

Criminals use leaked KYC data to find and target people, and it’s not just millionaires. It’s regular people, and sometimes their parents, partners, or even children.

It’s happened in London, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Lagos, Los Angeles, all over the world.
Some are robbed. Some are held for ransom.
Some don’t survive.

These aren’t edge cases. They’re the direct result of forcing companies to collect and store sensitive personal data.

When we force companies to hoard identity data, we guarantee it will eventually fall into the wrong hands.

There are two types of companies, those that have been hacked, and those that don’t yet know they’ve been hacked” – former Cisco CEO, John Chambers

What KYC actually does

KYC turns every financial institution into a surveillance node.
It turns your personal information into a liability.

It doesn’t just increase risk — It creates it.

KYC is part of a global surveillance infrastructure. It feeds into databases governments share and query without your knowledge. It creates chokepoints where access to basic services depends on surrendering your privacy. And it deputizes companies to collect and hold sensitive data they never wanted.

If you’re trying to rob a vault, you go where the gold is.
If you’re trying to target people, you go where the data lives.

KYC creates those vaults, legally mandated, poorly secured, and irresistible to attackers.

Does it even work?

We’re told KYC is necessary to stop terrorism and money laundering.

But the top reasons banks file “suspicious activity reports” are banal, like someone withdrawing “too much” of their own money.

We’re told to accept this surveillance because it might stop a bad actor someday.

In practice, it does more to expose innocent people than to catch criminals.

KYC doesn’t prevent crime.
It creates the conditions for it.

A Better Path Exists

We don’t have to live like this.

Better tools already exist, tools that allow verification without surveillance:

  • Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs): Prove something (like your age or citizenship) without revealing documents
  • Decentralized Identity (DID): You control what gets shared, and with whom
  • Homomorphic Encryption: Allows platforms to verify encrypted data without ever seeing it

But maybe it’s time to question something deeper.
Why is centralized, government-mandated identity collection the foundation of participation in financial life?

This surveillance regime didn’t always exist. It was built.

And just because it’s now common doesn’t mean we should accept it.

We didn’t need it before. We don’t need it now.

It’s time to stop normalizing mass surveillance as a condition for basic financial access.

The system isn’t protecting us.
It’s putting us in danger.

It’s time to say what no one else will

KYC isn’t a necessary evil.
It’s the original sin of financial surveillance.

It’s not a flaw in the system.
It is the system.

And the system needs to go.

Takeaways

  • Check https://HaveIBeenPwned.com to see how much of your identity is already exposed
  • Say no to services that hoard sensitive data
  • Support better alternatives that treat privacy as a baseline, not an afterthought

Because safety doesn’t come from handing over more information.

It comes from building systems that never need it in the first place.

 

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.

Worrying trend: More people driving under the influence of drugs

Published yesterday 7:23
– By Editorial Staff
Genre image - traffic accident. There is no information that drugs are related to this particular incident.

In Sweden, it is now more common for drivers to be under the influence of drugs than alcohol, while in Finland it is still more common to drive drunk than under the influence of drugs.

Between 2018 and 2022, 81 people died in Finland in traffic accidents where the driver who caused the accident was under the influence of at least one drug. This corresponds to 11 percent of all fatal traffic accidents during the period when drug testing was possible.

– Alcohol is still the most common intoxicant in fatal traffic accidents, but drugs are becoming increasingly common. This is particularly true of amphetamines, which are often linked to high speeds and risky decisions. Cannabis is also common among those who drive while intoxicated, says Kalle Parkkari, Director of Traffic Safety at the Finnish Accident Investigation Board, to Swedish Yle.

Statistics show that drivers under the influence of drugs are more likely to collide with other vehicles, while drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to drive off the road or crash in off-road terrain. However, Parkkari points out that the number of cases is so limited that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions.

– There is nevertheless a slight trend indicating an increase in drug-related driving under the influence. Traffic is part of society, and drug use in society appears to be on the rise. It is therefore inevitable that drugs will also begin to appear more frequently in traffic, Parkkari notes.

Sweden stands out in the statistics

In Sweden, the trend is more alarming. Between 2012 and 2022, 23 percent of drivers who died in traffic accidents were under the influence of drugs, compared to 11 percent who had alcohol in their system. Drug-related drunk driving has thus overtaken alcohol as the most common cause.

Lars-Olov Sjöström, traffic safety manager at the Swedish Motorists’ Sobriety Association, points to a change in attitude among young people as a possible explanation.

– For a hundred years, we have taught people not to drive with alcohol in their system, but the surveys we have conducted in collaboration with authorities in Norway show that the same young people who refrain from driving when under the influence of alcohol do not think as carefully when it comes to cannabis. We are lagging behind in providing information about cannabis and other drugs.

“We can learn from each other”

He believes that a more liberal and permissive view of “recreational drugs” among young people makes the work more difficult, but still sees hope for change within five to ten years. Both Parkkari and Sjöström emphasize the importance of cross-border cooperation to manage the development.

– It would be enormously helpful if we could learn from other countries’ experiences in this area. While the situation in Finland is still under control, it is very important to ensure that it does not get worse, says Parkkari.

Sjöström agrees, adding:

– We are seeing the same pattern in Finland as we have seen in Sweden, so we can learn from each other and discuss methods for dealing with the problem.

Swedish journalist files police report against major bank for theft

The crisis of confidence in banks

Published 29 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Mattias Albinsson doesn't think he'll get his banking services back - but he'd like the bank to give back the money they took.

Samnytt reporter Mattias Albinsson has reported the Wallenberg-owned bank SEB for theft after the bank not only closed his account and blocked his Bank ID, but also seized the journalist’s own money on unclear grounds.

Albinsson suspects that he has been subjected to repression by the bank because he works for a newspaper whose reporting and editorial stance are disliked by SEB’s management.

In recent years, the Nordic Times has highlighted a very worrying trend in which people with regime-critical or otherwise inconvenient views are reporting that their accounts are being suddenly and arbitrarily closed – something that also happened earlier this month to Samnytt journalist Mattias Albinsson.

One day, he discovered that his Bank ID no longer worked and that he could not access his own money in his bank account.

According to the reporter, a bank official confirmed that the bank had moved his assets to one of its own “internal accounts”.

Simply stolen, in plain Swedish. I can’t claim it was a huge amount of money. But it would have been enough for a month’s worth of groceries, at least. Now it will probably end up in the bank managers’ golf fund”, he writes in a column.

“An excuse to shut me down”

Albinsson has been a customer of SEB for 24 years but has been living abroad for several years. Last fall, the Wallenberg bank contacted him and asked him to fill out a “customer knowledge” form, which he did, together with a female bank employee over the phone.

The journalist explains to the bank that he needs Bank ID in order to access official mail and other important services, and they agree that other “risky banking services” such as cards, Swish, and international payments will be deactivated – precisely to avoid problems with the bank in the future.

Despite the fact that one of the bank’s own employees helped Albinsson fill out the document, the bank is not satisfied and soon sends out a new “customer knowledge” form, demanding an explanation as to why the journalist wants a bank account in Sweden in the first place. This is also filled out, but new forms continue to arrive.

Customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge. In the end, I can’t reasonably respond any further to SEB’s demands for ‘customer knowledge’. I’ve already responded several times. I’m starting to get an idea of what they’re after. They want an excuse to shut me down”, he says.

“I feel that they have support from Rosenbad”

His fears proved to be well-founded, as SEB soon kicked out the Swedish expat – even though he had already answered their questions on several occasions.

SEB did not allow him to get his own money back in a straightforward manner with the help of a relative who visited one of the bank’s offices with power of attorney. Instead, they demanded that he fly to Sweden himself and appear in person to get his seized assets back. A trip that would likely be more expensive than the money he had lost.

He himself believes that it is very likely that the reason he was targeted is because he works for a newspaper that SEB’s managers disapprove of, and points out that they have acted in a similar way towards others in the past.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Sweden, regardless of the political color of the government, is moving in an increasingly totalitarian direction where freedom of the press is being stifled step by step. In more ways than one. It’s not just about ‘alternative media’. The ‘Foreign Espionage Act’, for example, can be seen as primarily targeting so-called established media”, he argues, continuing:

So SEB probably feels that it has the support of Rosenbad (Swedish government) when it cracks down on Swedish journalists abroad. In particular, those who write about the wrong things, are suspected of harboring the wrong opinions, or whatever else they choose to focus on”.

To protest the bank’s actions, Albinsson has decided to report SEB to the police for theft or fraud. He does not believe that this will lead anywhere, but sees it as “a way of showing that we will not silently accept theft”.

For my part, I don’t think I’ll get my Bank ID back. Or my bank account. But I am more than happy to get back the money that SEB has stolen”, he emphasizes.

Report: Sweden and the Social Democrats deeply infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood

The Islamization of Europe

Published 29 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Social Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson and Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Leader Mohamed Badie.

A new French report warns that the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement known for its radical interpretation of Islam and its grand political ambitions, has even greater influence in the Western world than previously known – and Sweden is singled out as particularly infiltrated.

The Islamist movement is said to have particularly strong ties to the Social Democrats – but the party itself strongly denies that this is the case.

Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism researcher and critic of Islam who is frequently quoted in the media, believes that the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence risks damaging Swedish democracy and that the Islamist group’s values are completely incompatible with those of Sweden.

– It goes against our religion, which is the rule of law, respect for human rights and freedoms, and above all women’s rights and equality, Ranstorp said on Swedish TV4’s Efter fem program.

The government report reveals that the Muslim Brotherhood controls at least 200 mosques in France and has infiltrated both schools and sports activities. The movement, which seeks to establish an Islamist society, is believed to have spread its influence to over 70 countries, including Sweden.

According to the report, Sweden serves as a base for an active part of the movement, and Ranstorp points out how individuals linked to the Brotherhood have positioned themselves as intermediaries between authorities and Muslim organizations.

– They do this by obtaining funding from municipalities and other government agencies, which allows them to gain power and facilitate the process of trying to segregate society.

– The Muslim Brotherhood in particular can be a breeding ground for radicalization. They build a ‘us and them’ society, he says.

S: “Could be based on old information”

Sweden’s largest party, the Social Democrats, is also said to have particularly close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, something they themselves deny.

There is no connection. It could be based on old information. We are looking into what this report might be based on”, writes the Social Democrats’ press service in a comment.

The same message was echoed by the party’s press secretary Tobias Baudin, who claimed that the Social Democrats “have zero tolerance for ties with extremist organizations“.

– That policy is crystal clear within our party, they claim.

However, it recently emerged that Social Democrat MP Jamal El-Haj attended a conference organized by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and personally tried to influence the Migration Agency with the aim of getting a radical Egyptian imam to stay in Sweden. He was subsequently asked to leave the party.

Government demands Social Democrats to investigate themselves

Moderate Party Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard says it is “deeply concerning” that Sweden is being singled out as a stronghold for radical Islamists and that the Social Democrats are said to have particularly strong ties to the group.

However, her solution is not an external and independent investigation – instead, she suggests that the party itself investigate whether or not it has been infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Social Democrats must conduct a thorough investigation into this information. Referring to the fact that it may be based on old information gives strong grounds for suspicion. This is about Sweden’s security – we cannot be this lax”, she writes on X.

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