datalaget

Datalaget is the Swedish name for the body of law that governs the processing of personal data, most often associated with an early data protection statute from the 1970s. The term is used to refer to the national framework that regulated how automated data registers could be created and used within Sweden.

Historically, the act was introduced to address growing use of computers to store and manage personal information. It established core obligations for operators handling personal data, such as registering data registers with the supervisory authority, defining legitimate purposes for data collection, and ensuring that information was accurate and used in a way consistent with those purposes. The law also granted individuals rights to be informed about the data held about them and to request corrections when necessary. The supervisory role was carried out by the Data Inspection Board (Datainspektionen), which monitored compliance and could issue rulings or penalties.

Impact and legacy: Datalaget represented one of the first comprehensive national attempts to regulate computerized personal data, shaping Sweden’s approach to data protection for decades. It laid the groundwork for later reforms, including the 1990s era Personal Data Act (PUL) and, more broadly, the European Union’s data protection framework. Although later superseded by newer legislation, the Datalaget is often cited as a foundational step in Sweden’s data protection history.

See also: Personal Data Act (PUL), GDPR, Datainspektionen, data protection.