A majority of Danish citizens are critical of the government’s proposal to expand the Danish Security and Intelligence Service’s (PET) access to large amounts of data, including personal health information and medical records. A recent survey reveals significant public concern about the potential for mass surveillance and the risk of monitoring innocent individuals.

The proposal would allow PET to mass-monitor citizens without suspicion and collect and analyze all citizens’ personal information and digital footprints. This includes sensitive data such as health information, publicly available data, and information from other authorities.

The engineering association IDA conducted a survey showing that 51 percent of respondents want the bill amended or rejected, while only 24 percent support it in its current form. IDA chairman Laura Klitgaard expressed concerns about the implications of allowing PET to collect and analyze large, coherent data sets using artificial intelligence.

A hearing on the bill is scheduled in Parliament, where many parties are skeptical and advocate for a privacy commission. The government postponed the legislative process until after the summer holidays following criticism. In response, 25 organizations and researchers proposed a privacy commission to assess the extent of surveillance in society.

While Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard initially rejected the idea, he has since indicated a greater openness to it. The survey indicates that 54 percent of the population supports a privacy commission to evaluate the balance between surveillance and the rule of law.

Although 59 percent believe the proposal will strengthen national security and 66 percent think it will help prevent serious crime, concerns remain about the potential for abuse. Klitgaard emphasized the need for PET to have effective tools but cautioned against introducing mass surveillance of all citizens to identify potential criminals. 66 percent fear that innocent citizens will be monitored, and 56 percent believe innocent people will be suspected.

Skepticism extends to the prospect of PET purchasing data analysis software from a non-European supplier. PET currently uses an analysis tool from the American tech company Palantir, and this collaboration could be expanded. Klitgaard stressed the importance of guaranteeing the absence of backdoors that could be exploited by the supplier or hackers if the government proceeds with its proposal to profile every citizen.

The survey, conducted by Norstat for the engineering association, gathered responses from 2019 citizens between July 18 and 31, 2025.