EXTERNAL WHISTLEBLOWING CHANNELS: How do they work in practice? / EXTERNA VISSELBLÅSARKANALER: Hur funkar de i praktiken?
Authored by: Transparency International Sweden
Published by: Transparency International Sweden
Publication Date: 11 June 2026
About: According to the Whistleblower Act, Act (2021:890) on the Protection of Persons Who Report Misconduct, 55 competent authorities must offer external reporting channels. During the spring, Transparency International Sweden (TI Sweden) investigated how these reporting channels work in practice. The results show a system that lacks clarity, uniformity and guidance – something that risks undermining the purpose of the law: to provide protection and make it safer for people to report misconduct.
Gap in legislation creates uncertainty
The broad scope of application of the Whistleblower Act is not reflected in the competent authorities' mandate according to Regulation (2021:949) – there is a difference between what the law says you can report and what the external channels actually receive. In practice, this means that certain irregularities can, for example, be reported internally but not externally. In addition, there is no regulation for how matters that fall outside the external channels' areas of responsibility should be handled.
Lacking, and sometimes incorrect, information can reduce confidence in the system
Despite the requirements of the law, the information on the external channels' websites is in several cases inadequate – or even incorrect. Two competent authorities write that anonymous reporting is not allowed by law, which is not true. 15 external channels lack information about what support they can offer whistleblowers, and only 13 per cent refer to other actors who can provide support. Unclear information also makes reporting channels less accessible.
Languages: Swedish
More info.