The Swedish government has received approval from the EU Commission for a fast-track on a new law forcing social media platforms to remove gang recruitment material within one hour. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer described it as the first such legislation in any EU member state. The law targets the recruitment of children into gangs via platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
On April 2, the government submitted a notification to the EU Commission hoping for implementation earlier than the planned September 1 date. Due to Sweden's acute situation with gang-related violence and child recruitment, the Commission has now approved the fast-track, according to Strömmer.
The law allows police to demand that platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat remove illegal content, such as youth-targeted recruitment material, within one hour. Non-compliance could result in fines ranging from 5,000 to 5 million kronor.
Strömmer has faced criticism from the Left Party, Green Party, and Centre Party for moving too quickly. "I hope and believe that the parties will see that we are talking about a very acute problem—namely the recruitment of children into gangs. We see that this recruitment has largely moved from schoolyards and football fields to mobile phones," he told TT.
The next steps involve review by the Council on Legislation, followed by presentation to the Riksdag before the summer recess. "If the Riksdag is prepared to work very expeditiously and the parties are ready to cooperate with us on this, we see good opportunities to get this in place earlier than previously announced," Strömmer stated.
