Swede's Personal Income Online

With so many concerns about protecting privacy, it is surprising to learn that a Swedish Web site allows visitors to search for "the income and address of everyone living in Sweden," according to the Swedish English-language newspaper The Local.

Swedish tax authorities say they’ll crack down on the site, called Ratsit, The Local reports. The Swedish tax authority apparently sends the data to the site, and the information is “passed on to credit rating agencies, which [tax authority head Mats] Sjöstrand said have a legitimate interest in obtaining the information."

Anyone can anonymously request the income of any Swedish citizen by calling the tax authority, but "Sjöstrand did not indicate any plans to change this practice,” the article concludes.

Hat tip: Smart Mobs.