Stockholm, Sweden – Tobias Thyberg, who was appointed as Sweden’s new national security adviser just hours before, resigned on Friday after explicit images from his past Grindr account were anonymously sent to the Swedish government. His resignation comes amid questions about his security vetting process.
The Scandal Unfolds
The scandal erupted shortly after a press release was issued announcing Thyberg’s appointment. The anonymous sender provided several sexually explicit photos, which were reportedly linked to a previous account on the dating app Grindr. Thyberg admitted to not disclosing this information during his security background checks.
Thyberg stated to Dagens Nyheter that the images were from an old account. “I should have informed about this, but I did not,” he confessed. The resignation comes on the heels of a larger issue surrounding Sweden’s national security, where another top adviser, Henrik Landerholm, was involved in a separate scandal involving the mishandling of classified documents.
Vetting Failure and Government Response
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden criticized the failure to disclose this information during the vetting process, calling it a “systemic failure.” The government’s failure to uncover these details in the background checks led to an embarrassing scandal that has raised questions about the country’s security procedures.
Kristersson, speaking in Oslo, emphasized that such matters should have been disclosed, adding that the incident highlights ongoing vulnerabilities within Sweden’s national security processes.
A Pattern of Security Failures
This resignation follows a similar situation earlier in the year. Henrik Landerholm, Thyberg’s predecessor, resigned in January after a police investigation found that he had left classified documents in an unsecured hotel safe. Landerholm, who has been charged with negligent handling of secret information, denied any wrongdoing.
The ongoing scandals highlight vulnerabilities in Sweden’s national security apparatus, with the latest resignation prompting discussions about the future of the country’s security procedures.
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