Metaphors We Hide Behind: What Metaphors of Data, Information, and Technology Can Tell Us About Scandinavian Intelligence Practices

How are intelligence practices in Scandinavian countries guided by metaphors of data, information, and technology? This chapter identifies some of the metaphors around data, information, and new technologies in Scandinavian intelligence practices through analyses of regulations, doctrines, laws, and reports. The chapter conducts a comparative study between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, looking for what the different metaphors highlight as well as what they hide. The analyses are based on Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual and philosophical work on metaphors.