WORLDTECHSwedish government offices bar ChatGPT and Claude but keep Microsoft Copilot
Sweden's Government Offices, which provide administrative support to the prime minister and cabinet, plan to shut off access to ChatGPT and Claude on staff machines starting Monday. Civil servants are being pointed toward Microsoft Copilot, the single AI product to clear the body's security evaluation, according to Decrypt, which cites Sveriges Radio.
Copilot cleared after its own review
The report says the government is pointing to concerns about information security. Copilot is allowed to stay because the Government Offices examined it and then tightened its security settings. No comparable step was taken for ChatGPT or Claude.
Some employees will still be able to reach both blocked tools through an AI platform that the Government Offices developed in-house. The press office has not said how many people that covers or which restrictions would apply to them.
Other Swedish agencies already restrict AI
The Tax Agency and the National Board of Institutional Care have already put comparable bans in place. The Enforcement Authority, which handles debt collection and enforces court orders, is expected to announce its own decision soon.
Separately, an internal audit at the Transport Administration identified roughly 10 AI services being used there in a widespread and risky manner.
Why the type of contract matters
According to the report, consumer AI tools without formal agreements route user queries to servers run by outside companies, and US law lets authorities require those companies to hand over data on request. A formal security agreement sets, at a minimum, what the provider may and may not do with the material government staff enter, which is why the gap between a vetted enterprise contract and an open consumer product is central to the decision.
European unease about data security in AI has grown since Italy's temporary ChatGPT ban in 2023. The report suggests Sweden is drawing a narrower line than Brussels. It also notes that Microsoft brought Claude models into Copilot in early 2026, which complicates the idea that Claude has been fully shut out.
Open questions
- How many employees can still reach ChatGPT and Claude through the internal platform, and under what restrictions?
- Will the Enforcement Authority adopt the same restrictions as the other agencies?