This guide is informational. Always verify how the rules apply to your specific case.
Brief Answer: From July 1, 2026, the law (2026:806) on the use of AI systems for real-time facial recognition for law enforcement purposes will be in effect. The Polismyndigheten and Säkerhetspolisen are permitted to use the technology when it is absolutely necessary to locate or identify a specific person in particularly serious situations. The main rule is to obtain permission from a prosecutor or court. In urgent cases, use may begin, but permission must be sought within 24 hours. Each use must be reported to the Integritetsskyddsmyndigheten (IMY).
This is not the same as the police “filming in the city.” It involves automated biometric remote identification in real-time – the system compares faces in camera streams against reference images. The guide pertains to the Police and is related to the Palantir review and camera surveillance after 2025.
When can AI facial recognition be used?
According to the government's proposal Prop. 2025/26:150 and the law (2026:806), the technology may be used if it is absolutely necessary to locate or identify a specific person:
- who is suspected of being subjected to kidnapping, human trafficking, or certain human exploitation, or who is missing and suspected of being a victim of crime
- if there is an imminent risk that the person will commit a serious crime that poses a danger to another's life or physical safety
- who can reasonably be suspected of having committed a certain serious crime (including crimes with a minimum of four years imprisonment in the penalty scale, linked to the AI regulation's annex) for the purpose of investigation or prosecution
- who has been convicted of such a serious crime, for the purpose of executing the criminal penalty
Important: It is not a free “facial scanning of everyone on the street” in the sense of the law. The use must be limited to person, place, and time – and proportionate.
Permission, urgency, and time limits
- Main rule: permission from a prosecutor or court depending on the purpose (prevent/execute or investigate/prosecute).
- Urgency: use may begin without prior permission, but an application must be made within 24 hours.
- Limitation: the permission must be tied to a specific person, area, and period. The maximum validity period is specified in the legislation (no more than one month per decision according to the proposal's framework).
- Human oversight: The EU's AI regulation requires that negative legal consequences are not made solely based on the system's match. A human must assess the result.
IMY notification and disclosure
Regulation (2026:815) complements the law. Among other things, each use must be reported to IMY. There are also rules about notifying that the technology has been used – with information about purpose, time, and area.
Notification does not mean you automatically get to see camera images or the algorithm's match list. Confidentiality in preliminary investigations may limit what is disclosed. However, the notification and reporting chain are important tracks for oversight and for you who wish to request documents later.
How do cameras and AI relate?
The police have significantly expanded public camera surveillance. In June 2026, the Polismyndigheten announced that it is testing systems for facial recognition with footage from the national camera platform. It shows the chain:
- cameras in public places collect images
- AI can match faces in real-time against references
- the police gain a tool to find a designated person faster
The camera reform from April 1, 2025, made it easier to set up surveillance in public operations. Real-time AI makes the cameras more “active.” Read camera surveillance without permission.
From Clearview to legal real-time AI
In 2021, IMY determined that the Polismyndigheten's use of Clearview AI lacked legal support according to the criminal data law. The new law creates an explicit legal basis for certain real-time situations – but it is not a free pass for the same type of mass collection that Clearview was criticized for.
Sweden also refers to the exception in the EU's AI regulation for biometric remote identification in real-time in law enforcement under strict conditions. This means that Swedish law and EU law must be read together.
What you can do as an individual
- Document time, place, and event if you suspect you have been identified via camera/AI in connection with an intervention. See document police intervention.
- Request documents as far as confidentiality allows: decisions, case numbers, supporting documents. See request government documents.
- Inquire about the basis that justified the identification – human, witness, camera, AI match, or a combination.
- IMY in case of suspected illegal processing of personal data; JO for procedural errors. See JO complaint.
- Check registers if incorrect connections are being spread. See illegal register search and surveillance register.
FAQ
Can the police scan all faces at a train station?
The law is structured around the localization/identification of a specific person for strict purposes and permits – not free mass surveillance. In practice, camera streams can still be analyzed when a permit applies to an area.
Is it the same as Palantir?
No. Palantir involves analysis platforms. Real-time facial recognition is a specific biometric tool with its own law. They belong to the same broader development of data-driven police work.
What happened on July 1, 2026?
The law (2026:806) and the supplementary regulation (2026:815) came into force.
Can I find out if my face was matched?
Sometimes through notification or request for documents, but confidentiality may limit this. Still, request in writing and save the case number.
