According to Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat, the proposal marks a departure from Supo's traditional role of revealing, preventing and investigating crime to the proactive collecting of intelligence about potential national security risks. Additionally, the proposal to give Supo the right to follow technical trails abroad would vest more power in the hands of the Supo director. In return, a new monitoring body would be established to oversee how the powers are used.
The working group chairman, Sami Manninen, dispelled public fears that the surveillance proposal would turn Finland into a police state. According to Manninen, international law and human rights treaties require that surveillance is limited and well-defined.
"This does not allow any mass surveillance, but rather in a limited and targeted way," Manninen told Finnish daily Hufvudstadsbladet.
"I'm looking forward to a debate among all citizens, because it is a question of fundamental rights," Jari Lindström said, as quoted by Finnish newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet.
The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) is a national police unit operating under the Ministry of the Interior, and its core functions are counterintelligence, counterterrorism and security work. Supo operations are currently overseen by the parliamentary ombudsman, the data protection ombudsman and the chancellor of justice.