In Sweden, a new legislative proposal is currently under consideration: allowing social services to use electronic ankle monitoring on children as young as 13. Framed as a measure to protect children and prevent harmful behaviour, the proposal raises difficult questions that reach far beyond one national context.
Coordinator of HRJust, Maria Grahn-Farley has drafted the consultation response on the draft bill submitted to the Council on Legislation: Electronic monitoring – a tool for social services to protect children and young people (S2026/00342).
The consultation response highlights several concerns:
– that intrusive surveillance may be used without any crime being committed or even suspected
– that lowering the age limit has proceeded despite widespread criticism from legal and human rights bodies
– and that this risks weakening both legal certainty and the democratic role of the consultation process itself
As governments across Europe explore new tools to address social challenges, this case invites continued reflection on how far States can go in invoking “protection” while still upholding fundamental rights.