Co-Production of Intelligence: Engagement of Civil Society in Scandinavian Counterespionage

In this article, we argue that co-production of intelligence has been taken up by Scandinavian intelligence services. Thus, Scandinavian services increasingly align with a traditional U.S./UK approach to intelligence communication, where civil society actors are envisioned as central actors in intelligence matters. Additionally, we argue that this approach is applied in the context of Scandinavian counterespionage, not only counterterrorism as in the US/UK cases, along with the current focus on total defence, societal security, and whole-of-society approaches to security matters. Furthermore, we provide three concepts and examples of the co-production of counterintelligence in Scandinavia: ad hoc chipping-in; formalized networks; and institutionalized partnerships. Finally, we discuss three types of potential implications of intelligence co-production which will need further attention: new visions and ideals of knowledge in the intelligence context; increased responsibilization of civil society actors and a subsequent risk of turning civil society into security policy actors; and a move toward even more blurry accountability mechanisms in the context of intelligence.