Sweden's Arbetsförmedlingen Begins Tracking Unemployed via IP Addresses

In a new initiative aimed at combating fraudulent unemployment benefits claims, Arbetsförmedlingen, Sweden's Public Employment Service, has begun tracking unemployed individuals through their IP addresses. This decision, made at the end of June 2025, seeks to verify the locations of users logging into the agency's services, particularly identifying anyone logging in from foreign IP addresses.

As of now, around 4,000 individuals have been flagged for appearing to connect from abroad. These individuals may face revocation of their unemployment benefits if they are found to be outside of Sweden without proper justification. Arbetsförmedlingen plans to reach out to these flagged individuals starting in September 2025, providing them a chance to explain their situations before any penalties are imposed.

"This initiative is part of our broader strategy to ensure compliance among beneficiaries and to prevent improper payments," said Andreas Malmgren, a controller at Arbetsförmedlingen.

The tracking involves saving the IP addresses of users during their logins and further investigation will follow for those identified as using foreign IPs. While the agency acknowledges the limitations of IP tracking—especially when users employ VPNs to obscure their actual locations—it has also developed tools to detect VPN usage to avoid erroneous flagging. This highlights the ongoing challenges faced in enforcing compliance in the digital age.