Category Swedish legislation on the internet

The internet is not a lawless place, everything that is illegal offline is also illegal online. The internet is real. We want to help you to find out if you have been subjected to a crime. The Cyber Hate Assistant and Make Equal also want to emphasize that your experience is most important, you always have the right to support and help.

Here you will find informative texts and guidance in how the law can be interpreted in relation to the internet. Those of us who work with the Cyber Hate Assistant are not lawyers, but we have worked in collaboration with a lawyer in the development of our material. If you still feel uncertain, you can always contact the police or Victim Support Sweden.

Facts Act on Responsibility for Electronic Bulletin Boards (The BBS-Act)

The act on responsibility for electronic bulletin boards (1998:112), also known as the BBS-Act, implies that everyone who provides public digital services where people can post content is responsible for monitoring the service and for removing and preventing the proliferation of content that is not compliant with certain laws and regulations.

Facts Discrimination Act and unlawful discrimination

Discrimination and unlawful discrimination are not the same thing. That’s why it is important to find out which fits your situation so that you turn to the right agencies for help.

Facts Examples of sexual abuse online

What is sexual abuse online?

Facts Grooming

If you are under 15 years old and are contacted by an adult who wants to meet you and seems interested in you, it is good to be attentive. You might be experiencing grooming.

Facts Harassment

When is being mean or bullying someone online harassment, in the eye of the law?

Facts Hate crimes

A crime becomes a hate crime when the motive for attacking you was your ethnicity, belief, sexual orientation, or transgender identity or expression.

Facts Hate speech

Hate speech is a hate crime. Hate speech is when someone expresses themselves or spreads messages that show contempt or threats toward a group because of ethnicity, belief, or sexual orientation.

Facts Internet stalking

In Sweden, we do not differentiate between physical stalking or stalking online. Both are crimes and are called unlawful persecution.

Facts Nude pictures of people under 18 years old

If you are under 18 years of age and a nude picture of you has been spread on the internet, this might be a child pornography crime.

Facts Offensive photographing

If someone takes a picture or a screenshot of you online without your knowledge or consent, it can be illegal.

Facts Sexual assault online

Sexual assault can happen in different places, and in different ways. One of these places is the internet.

Facts Sexual harassment and sexual abuse

Sexual harassment on the internet is real. Dick pics, sexual messages, or uncomfortable comments are examples of what it might look like on the internet.

Facts Unlawful depiction of violence

To produce or disseminate pictures of sexual and/or gross violence is criminal.

Facts Unlawful threats

An unlawful threat is a crime that involves threatening someone about carrying out a criminal act with the purpose of seriously frightening the other person.

Facts Unlawful violations of integrity

Nude pictures, revenge porn, and negative portrayals on the internet, this is how the law of unlawful violations of integrity will help you!

Facts Violations

Violation is an umbrella term for several different levels of crimes like unlawful threats, slander, derogatory treatment and abusive behavior. We want to help you identify where your situation fits in.