Europe
Sweden restricts ChatGPT and Claude on government computers, steering staff to Microsoft Copilot
As of Oct. 26, staff at the Swedish Government Offices can no longer use the two artificial intelligence platforms through a browser on work computers, due to data security concerns.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 26, 2026, 10:30 · Updated 18:41 · 1 min read
In brief
- The restriction affects the Government Offices of Sweden, including the prime minister's office and the ministries.
- Staff are being steered to Microsoft Copilot, which has been reviewed and approved by the authorities.
- The measure is not a full ban: a limited number of employees keep access through a dedicated platform.
Sweden has blocked, as of Oct. 26, the use of ChatGPT and Claude through browsers on work computers for staff at the Government Offices, including the prime minister's office and the ministries. The news was reported by ATSH, citing Euronews.
Staff are being directed to Microsoft Copilot, which the authorities have reviewed and approved for this work environment. Before the decision, Copilot's security was reviewed and its safeguards strengthened, while its use is based on an agreement with Microsoft that sets out security and data-processing terms.
Why the restriction was imposed
The main concern is the use of platforms without dedicated agreements defining how data is processed and protected. Entering sensitive information into these services could create risks for state information, especially when there are no clear guarantees about how the data is stored and used. Mikael Wettercrantz, director of digitalization at the Government Offices, warned of the possible consequences for information security.
An internal audit at the Swedish Transport Administration had found problematic use of several platforms, both in the sensitivity of the information entered and in how generated answers were handled. The Swedish Tax Agency and the National Board of Institutional Care have imposed similar restrictions, while the Swedish Police are considering such measures.
The measure is not a full ban: a limited number of employees will continue to have access to ChatGPT and Claude through an assistant platform built specifically for Swedish institutions. The two services join China's DeepSeek, whose use had already been restricted in the Swedish administration.
