Sweden's government blocks ChatGPT and Claude, keeps Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft keeps its seat inside the Swedish government while OpenAI and Anthropic lose theirs. From Monday 26 October, Regeringskansliet, the Government Offices, will cut staff access to ChatGPT and Claude on work computers, according to Sveriges Radio's Ekot, which cited internal information. Microsoft Copilot remains allowed.

The block covers the prime minister's office and the ministries. The stated reason is information security. SVT also reported the block on 23 October.

Copilot's survival came with conditions. The office ran a security review of the tool and took further protective measures. The press office would not say what they were, citing security. Digitalisation director Mikael Wettercrantz reportedly warned on the intranet that using AI services without a contract could have consequences for information security. That is a paraphrase, not a verified quote.

The ban is not total. Some staff reportedly get access through an internal AI platform, so generative AI use continues inside the government in some form. One outlet says Claude may return via Copilot, but other sources do not confirm this.

Sweden's central government is not acting alone. It had already restricted DeepSeek, and the Swedish Tax Agency and the National Board of Institutional Care have also introduced blocks.

The pattern favours vendors that already hold a contract and a security review. Microsoft is approved; the two standalone chatbot makers are shut out. The reported warning about services "without a contract" points to procurement terms, not model quality, as the dividing line, though the notes do not confirm that reading.

OpenAI and Anthropic are exposed. A block at the prime minister's office and the ministries, joined by two agencies, gives other public buyers a reference point. The route back, if there is one, looks like a contract or a distribution deal. The unconfirmed report of Claude returning through Copilot is worth watching for that reason, but treat it as a rumour until a second source backs it.