Swedish government wants tracking devices on children — and it's already watching them

Sweden's Ministry of Social Affairs said last week that a select segment of its youth could be "drawn into crime" and is making bold suggestions to avoid that possibility.

Describing its methods as one of the best tools at its disposal, the proposal would have shocking applications and a wide age range.

'Electronic surveillance may, in serious cases, be a necessary support.'

The Swedish government pleaded for child safety by way of electronic monitoring during a recent press conference and noted that certain children already flagged by their social services should be required to be at home within certain hours.

Strangely, the age group ranges from 13 to 20 years old.

The subjects would be monitored for a maximum of three months at a time, the Swedish government said, while Euronews reported that smart watches or bracelets with GPS monitoring would be the proffered device.

The bracelets would look "like a watch or bracelet, so it wouldn't be as obvious or stigmatizing" as an ankle bracelet, according to Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Gronvall.

While the government estimated that only 50 to 100 youths would be monitored, the social services minister cited that "173 children under the age of 15 [are] suspected of being involved in murders or murder plots."

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Swedish royal family. Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Image

"The government proposes that electronic monitoring should be able to be used in situations when children's safety needs to be ensured," the federal website stated. It added that the watchful eye of the government would be used to "ensure that the child or young person is at home at the times decided by the social services."

Sweden insisted that the devices would be as minimally intrusive as possible but are necessary as an "early intervention" apparatus that, in the end, will "protect" those being monitored.

"Electronic surveillance should only be used when necessary, with strict rules ... the measure is needed to ... prevent the child or young person from engaging in criminal activity," the government added.

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Parliament Palace, Stockholm, Sweden. Photo by: Giovanni Mereghetti/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Using similar logic, Swedish police have had the legal authority to monitor the electronic communications of children under 15 since October 2025.

"Preventive coercive measures may be used against children under the age of 15 to ... prevent and detect certain particularly serious crime," the government said.

The government also increased the time for which "children may be detained" while expanding the reasons for doing so.

Most of the commentary from government officials, like Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed, justified the monitoring system as a way to give "more tools" to the government to prevent gang recruitment and serious crimes.

"Electronic surveillance may, in serious cases, be a necessary support to ensure that children and young people do not stay in inappropriate places at inappropriate times," said Jessica Stegrud, social policy spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats.

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