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Information has an increasingly important role in the modern era, with its connection to both upholding democracy and its principles and an undeniable relation to security. This, however, can cause potential problems for democratic states due to the contrasting nature of these key principles and its potential consequences. Traditionally these principles are seen as contradictory or foes, with security and secrecy emasculating the very foundation of democracy. Other perspectives presents a more diverse relation which contradict with this approach, so how are these principles and the dilemma considered and handled by practitioners? Guided by these discussions and the empirical material of this research, the study focuses on the following research questions: How does the Swedish government consider the dilemma between the democratic principles and security? And how is the dilemma regarding availability and security handled empirically, and in relation to the theoretical perspectives of it?

To conclude, the study finds that while the dilemma is being considered, security, secrecy and the democratic principles are not deemed as foes, but instead as necessary and enabling components for upholding key components of democratic nations. While there are differences in how these are considered, each aspect is prioritized to different degrees. Although potential dilemmas are contemplated, they are not considered contradictory, thus disputing the research considering security and democracy as inherent adversaries.