How Denmark’s Welfare State Became a Surveillance Nightmare

Interesting article! This is a controversial topic, and I think the viewpoint expressed here is somewhat unilateral. I live in Denmark, so I know what it is like to live in this system day to day. There is no public surveillance in the obvious sense, like people being afraid to talk openly about and criticise the government. Freedom of speech and liberal values are part of the Constitution of Denmark. And there are huge benefits in the Danish society. There is a lot of unemployment aid, parental aid, lots of tax subsidies depending on your social state. But on the other hand, there is a lot of tax (up to around 60%!) and services are 2 or 3 times more expensive than in a lot of countries in Europe. It would be unfair for the tax payers if people could easily cheat the system and receive benefits that they are not entitled to. That is why some sort of control is required, to make sure that people respect the law. Some of the ways this is achieved, is perhaps on the grey zone constitutionally, and should be publicly known and debated. While people lean more on the left or on the right, I think the debate should lie in the middle, and open the dialogue between the 2 sides, on how they can maintain a welfare society without infringing on people's right to privacy and free speech.