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Wednesday, October 29, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/tech/too-much-free-speech-on-x-major-swedish-newspaper-dn-leaves-platform/

Tech

Too much free speech on X – Major Swedish newspaper DN leaves platform

Published November 19, 2024 – By Editorial
Peter Wolodarski and the iconic "DN skyscraper" in Stockholm.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Under Elon Musk's ownership, censorship on X (formerly Twitter) has been greatly reduced and the entrepreneur himself states that freedom of expression is very important to him.

Not everyone is happy about this development, however, and Peter Wolodarski, editor-in-chief of the Bonnier-owned newspaper DN (Dagens Nyheter), has announced that DN is boycotting the platform.

– Since Elon Musk took over, the platform has increasingly merged with his own and Donald Trump's political ambitions, while the climate on X has become more harsh and extreme. Therefore, for the time being, we will not publish anything there from our official accounts, he told his own magazine.

While arbitrary censorship for political reasons used to be commonplace on Twitter, users are now relatively free to write what they really think about the often biased reporting of DN and other establishment media without much risk of banning or suspension - and this is not at all popular with media executives.

– I think X is a lost platform, says Aftonbladet's editorial director Karin Schmidt, explaining that they left X already in 2023.

– Unlike X, I think it is so important that we are on Tiktok, where we can be a counterflow to fake news, she continues.

“Musk - a free speech fundamentalist”

The editor-in-chief of Swedish online magazine Kvartal, Jörgen Huitfeldt, agrees that there is sometimes a “rude and unpleasant” climate of conversation on X, but he has no plans to leave the platform.

– After all, many people are there, not least those who share journalistic content. It's a way for us to reach out really, it's that simple.

– Musk is a free speech fundamentalist, and I find it hard to believe that he will start censoring people in the same way he did under the Jack Dorsey regime, he continues.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-government-seeks-mandatory-deportation-for-prison-sentences/

Sweden

Swedish government seeks mandatory deportation for prison sentences

Migration crisis in Europe

Published today 8:23 am – By Editorial
Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Moderate Party-led Swedish government is close to introducing a law that would force prosecutors to demand deportation when foreign nationals are sentenced to prison. The penalty threshold will be lowered from six months, which is expected to dramatically increase the number of deportations in coming years.

Migration Minister Johan Forssell (Moderate Party) confirms that the government will soon submit the legislative proposal making it mandatory to demand deportation for persons sentenced to prison. The reform could increase the number of deportations sixfold in the first years.

The announcement comes after international criticism that a man who raped the then 16-year-old Meya in Skellefteå, northern Sweden, last year was not deported.

— I was very moved when I read about this case, both as a minister but above all as a parent, Forssell tells state-funded broadcaster Radio Sweden.

He emphasizes that the system is failing:

— Crime victims should receive justice and the system should be fair, but there is a systemic flaw here. I want to be honest in saying that this systemic flaw means that it is rather the perpetrators' well-being that is taken into account.

— People are still allowed to remain in Sweden despite having committed very serious crimes, for example rape, and I find that offensive, the minister adds.

"Toughest regulations in the Nordic region"

The upcoming legislation is based on an inquiry that the government received in May. The proposal means that prosecutors must demand deportation for prison sentences, and courts must decide on deportation when the conditions are met.

The penalty threshold will be lowered from six months to all prison sentences, meaning that even crimes such as assault and fraud could lead to deportation. According to the inquiry, the number of deportations could increase by 500–600 percent during the first years.

— Sweden will thus have the toughest regulations in the entire Nordic region, Forssell claims, adding that the government also wants to review the EU rules that make deportations more difficult.

— I hope that we will be successful there, but it is a more complicated process than Swedish legislation, which we control ourselves.

Lack of credibility

Although many agree that immigrant criminals should be deportable, critics question the migration minister's credibility and ask how many deportations will actually be carried out.

During the Moderate Party's previous period in government under Fredrik Reinfeldt (Swedish Prime Minister 2006-2014), Sweden's already generous mass immigration was expanded, which according to critics has led to many of the people who may now be deported, or their parents, being granted entry to Sweden in the first place.

Despite the sudden shift in rhetoric, many believe it is highly unlikely that extensive deportation programs will be implemented under a Moderate Party-led government.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/youth-prisons-for-13-year-olds-to-open-this-summer-in-sweden/

Sweden

Youth prisons for 13-year-olds to open this summer in Sweden

organized crime

Published yesterday 2:03 pm – By Editorial
The number of young people convicted of serious crimes has increased dramatically in recent years.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish government has tasked the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården) with preparing special youth prisons for 13- and 14-year-olds who commit serious crimes.

The purpose is to adapt the sentence execution to the child's age and to separate younger offenders from older youth, with the prison units set to be ready by summer.

The Swedish Prison and Probation Service has previously been tasked with preparing youth prisons for 15–17-year-olds convicted of serious crimes. Now the assignment is being expanded to also include criminals aged 13 and 14, in connection with the government's proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility for serious crimes.

In August 2023, the government received the report A review of regulations on custodial sentences for young people, which proposes that secure youth care be replaced with imprisonment in special youth units at existing facilities.

– Lowering the age of criminal responsibility for the most serious crimes is needed for several reasons. It is important to strengthen redress for crime victims, to protect society and to help children leave the criminal path. This also provides a five-year window for preventive work to catch up with today's reality. The Prison and Probation Service is now tasked with preparing operations in the best way to receive the youngest target group, says Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer.

Age-appropriate adaptation

The Prison and Probation Service must adapt both facilities and operations based on the children's age. Younger children must be kept separate from older youth, and operations must comply with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

– When 13–14-year-olds are running around with automatic weapons, it must be met with society's full force. To protect others, they must be able to be locked up, and by lowering the age of criminal responsibility, we open up the police's toolbox. It gives us a chance to both stop continued violence and turn around the development for these children before it's too late, says Henrik Vinge (Sweden Democrats), chair of the justice committee in the Swedish Parliament.

Torsten Elofsson, legal policy spokesperson for the Christian Democrats, points out that the need is urgent:

– The number of children, as young as 13–14 years old, committing serious violent crimes has increased dramatically. Measures to prevent this and to also take action after completed crimes are a must. At the same time, the execution needs to be adapted based on the perpetrator's age. It is welcome that the Prison and Probation Service is now tasked with examining how operations need to be adapted.

Martin Melin (Liberals) agrees:

– I have great confidence in the Prison and Probation Service and how they solve the strained situation they have, not least with the shortage of places. I am convinced that they will also be able to ensure that the 13 and 14-year-olds sentenced to prison will be taken care of in the best way.

Planned facilities and timeline

The Prison and Probation Service is planning special youth units for boys at the facilities in Högsbo, Rosersberg, Österåker, Kumla, Skenäs and Täby. For girls, units are planned at Ystad and Sagsjön. Implementation will occur in stages, and not all units will be operational from July 1, 2026.

On September 24, the Ministry of Justice sent out for consultation a draft legislative proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 years for crimes with a minimum sentence of four years' imprisonment or more, as well as for attempts, preparation and conspiracy to commit such crimes. The proposal is currently time-limited to five years.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/tech/elon-musk-launches-grokipedia/

Tech

Elon Musk launches Grokipedia

Published yesterday 12:25 pm – By Editorial
Grokipedia already contains 800,000 AI-generated articles.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Grokipedia was released last night – Musk's AI-based encyclopedia designed to compete with Wikipedia. The founder himself claims that Grokipedia is already significantly better than its competitor, even in its first version.

The service is built on the tech billionaire's AI chatbot Grok, which was developed as an alternative to ChatGPT. While Wikipedia relies on users to both create and review content, Grokipedia is designed to autonomously perform calculations, verify facts, and write articles.

Grokipedia version 0.1 was launched overnight. The platform already contains over 800,000 articles generated by Grok and has been integrated with real-time data from X (formerly Twitter).

Musk has long criticized Wikipedia for being heavily politically correct in its articles, and has urged people to stop donating to the platform. He is not alone in his criticism – an increasing number of people often accuse the site of having transformed into a political weapon with a strong left-liberal bias.

"Version 1.0 will be 10X better, but even at 0.1 it’s better than Wikipedia imo", he writes on X.

"The goal is truth"

The launch was not without problems, however, as it briefly crashed overnight due to overload – though this was quickly stabilized.

Grokipedia uses some content from Wikipedia under Creative Commons license, but aims to "cleanse" perceived bias through an evidence- and physics-based rewriting process.

"The goal of Grok and Grokipedia.com is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We will never be perfect, but we shall nonetheless strive towards that goal", Musk writes on X.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/sweden-accelerates-space-defense-development-military-satellites-planned-before-2030/

Sweden

Sweden accelerates space defense development – military satellites planned before 2030

The new cold war

Published yesterday 11:19 am – By Editorial
The Swedish Armed Forces monitors other countries' satellites and space movements in real time.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish Armed Forces is accelerating the development of a Swedish space defense capability and plans to launch its own operational satellites earlier than previously planned.

The initiative, which aims to enhance surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities amid escalating conflicts and a deteriorating security situation, involves an expedited procurement process where the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has been tasked with speeding up the process.

The conflict with Russia and "the deteriorating security situation" have prompted the Swedish Armed Forces to accelerate work on a national space defense capability. The goal of having its own military satellites was originally set for 2030, but FMV has now been tasked with implementing an expedited procurement so that the satellites will become operational earlier. The defense forces currently do not wish to specify an exact year or how many satellites will be included in the system.

— We need to see further, says Anders Sundeman, new head of the Swedish Armed Forces' space operations, to state television SVT.

The satellites will primarily be used for reconnaissance and surveillance and aim to provide an improved situational picture, including over the Baltic Sea region. Weaponization of the satellites is reportedly not currently under consideration.

"Weapons reach further"

The Swedish Armed Forces cites two main reasons for the increased pace: the deteriorating security situation and the development of weapon systems with longer range. The ability to detect and follow developments at greater distances has therefore become increasingly important, while space technology has become cheaper and more accessible.

— Distances have increased so much nowadays, weapons reach further. Therefore, we need to have a good understanding of how developments are unfolding at considerably greater distances, says Anders Sundeman.

In the long term, launches are intended to be possible from Esrange in northern Sweden, but the first operational satellite is likely to be launched from foreign soil. The defense forces already have two training satellites in orbit: Gna-3, which was launched last year, and the Swedish-Danish satellite Bifrost, which followed earlier this year.

Space as a domain of conflict

Today, around fifteen people work with space defense within the Swedish Armed Forces, and within five years the staff is expected to double. In the monitoring room that handles the space situational picture, other countries' satellites are tracked, passages over Sweden are noted, and suspicious movements are analyzed.

Sweden is one of several countries now building up space defense capabilities. The US-led military alliance NATO has also highlighted space as a possible future domain of conflict.

— With increased interest, increased activity and increased dependence, potential conflicts, or space as a potential domain of conflict, will increase, says Anders Sundeman.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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