Top Swedish official quits over explicit photo leak

Tobias Thyberg resigned as security adviser hours after images from a gay dating app were sent to the prime minister’s office and news outlets

Sweden’s new national security adviser, Tobias Thyberg, resigned just hours after his appointment following the circulation of explicit images linked to a dating app account. The scandal has sent shockwaves through the NATO country’s political establishment, reportedly raising questions about the reliability of security vetting and possible foreign involvement.

Thyberg, who served as Sweden’s ambassador to Ukraine from 2019 to 2023, was appointed national security adviser shortly before midday on Thursday, according to a timeline published by the newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

About 30 minutes later, an anonymous email containing explicit photos, allegedly of Thyberg, was sent to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s office. The images, reportedly taken from an old Grindr account, a gay dating app, were later shared with several media outlets, including the Dagens Nyheter.

By midnight, Thyberg had informed the outlet that he would not assume the role, confirming the leak. “I should have informed about this but I didn’t,” he told the newspaper, referring to the pictures.

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The paper noted that the images were not public, but were shared on a private channel, and that many were six or seven years old. It is unclear who accessed and distributed the pictures, but the Dagens Nyheter said the sender had used a private email service with strong encryption protection.

Kristersson has ordered an investigation into the scandal but refused to speculate about the potentially compromising materials. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer confirmed that the sensitive images had not surfaced during the security check, noting that Thyberg should have disclosed them voluntarily. Peter Hultqvist, a former Swedish Defense Minister, suggested that the scandal could disrupt the country’s cooperation with its international partners.

The outlet reported, citing sources, that there is speculation within the Swedish government that a foreign power may be behind the emergence of the images. Another source told the paper that it is “incomprehensible why this vulnerability was not discovered in the security clearance. The position is placed in the highest security class.”

The role of national security adviser in Sweden, which was only created in 2022, is not as prominent as its US counterpart, but it still has significant influence. The advisor reports directly to the prime minister and handles classified information. The position has come under increased scrutiny recently following the January resignation of Henrik Landerholm, who was indicted after allegedly leaving classified documents in a hotel room – a charge he denies.