In late 2021, a social media disinformation campaign targeting the Swedish social services grew rapidly. The campaign centered on the Swedish Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (LVU), which allows social services to remove minors from their homes and place them in foster care or family homes.The campaign falsely accused social services of sinister actions, such as kidnapping children—particularly those from Muslim backgrounds—for purposes like sex trafficking, organ harvesting, and forced assimilation. According to the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency (MPF), this represents the most serious disinformation campaign Sweden has ever faced.

This study investigates how the LVU disinformation campaign was handled and responded to by Swedish media organizations and social services authorities. We present the results from a qualitative semi-structured interview study, gathering data from key actors in Swedish authorities (including representatives of social services and government agencies for crisis management) and representatives of Swedish media houses that played a crucial role in countering the campaign.