A recent law in Finland has covertly made many previously public historical patient records permanently confidential, raising concerns among researchers and genealogists.
According to Helsingin Sanomat, a new customer data law that came into effect in 2024 has covertly classified many historical patient records as permanently confidential. Previously, personal information was made public 50 years after a person's death, but the new regulation has changed this norm, potentially affecting historians and genealogists who rely on access to such data for their research.
The legislation did not sufficiently consider the implications for information seekers, as pointed out by the Finnish Genealogical Society, which was caught off guard by this significant change. The lack of public discussion surrounding the law's effects on various stakeholders has drawn criticism, particularly from those in the fields of academia and research who utilize historical patient records for educational purposes.
According to Senior Councilor Joni Komulainen, the change was made deliberately, and the government has since received feedback on the new law from various parties. The administration is now contemplating whether the permanent confidentiality is necessary in all cases, indicating a possible future revision of the existing legislation to address these concerns.
