The government is willing to consider adjustments to a bill expanding the Police Intelligence Service’s (PET) access to large amounts of citizen data. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard announced this during a Parliament hearing on the bill, which aims to bolster threat assessments and crime prevention.

While open to addressing concerns, the government wants to maintain the bill’s core purpose. Hummelgaard emphasized the importance of providing PET with the necessary tools to safeguard Danish citizens.

The proposal would grant PET the authority to collect data on citizens without suspicion, encompassing the collection and analysis of personal information and digital footprints. Critics argue this constitutes mass surveillance.

Both the intelligence service and the Minister of Justice deny the mass surveillance claims. The Minister stated to give high relevance to PET’s needs for modern tools in the digital era.

Hummelgaard stated that the bill intends to enable PET to more effectively and rapidly identify potential threats, citing the need to prevent incidents.

Due to widespread criticism regarding insufficient time for proper review, the government has postponed the legislative process until after the summer holidays.