Government revises criticised proposal on social welfare technology

The Finnish government has submitted a supplementary proposal to clarify the use of technology in social welfare services, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health announced on Monday.

The draft legislation aims to expand the use of technological solutions such as care cameras, alarm mats, and remote services in elderly care and other social welfare contexts.

The revised proposal introduces stricter rules on when and how such technology may be deployed, with a particular emphasis on the client’s capacity to understand and consent to its use. The more a solution interferes with fundamental rights, the stricter the legal conditions for its implementation must be, the ministry stated.

Technology may only be used if it aligns with the client’s service needs and is appropriate for their situation.

The Constitutional Law Committee had previously criticised the original proposal, demanding clearer limits on the conditions under which technology could be introduced. In its May statement, the committee highlighted concerns over privacy and self-determination, insisting that any solution enabling audio or video connections must be visibly detectable to the user.

A public hearing on the supplementary proposal will be held in mid-August.