Oslo death sparks questions about role of technology in reducing contact in society

A man lay dead in his Oslo flat for nine years before being discovered by a caretaker in December, Norwegian police have said.

The man, who was in his 60s, had been married more than once and also had children. But according to neighbours he kept himself to himself and when they didn’t see him they thought he had moved or been taken to an institution. He was found only when the caretaker requested police open the apartment so he could carry out maintenance work.

Police believe the man died in April 2011, based on a carton of milk and a letter that were found in his apartment. An autopsy showed he died of natural causes. His pension was stopped in 2018 when the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) could not get in touch with him but his bills continued to be paid automatically from his bank account.

Oslo police inspector Grete Lien Metlid said she and her colleagues had thought a lot about how somebody could have lain dead for so long without being missed. “He was obviously a person who chose to have little contact with others.”

Arne Krokan, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said the man would unlikely have lain dead undiscovered for 9 years if he had died 30 years ago. The failure of new technological systems to raise red flags when someone did not make physical contact was “the price we’ve paid for digital services”, he said.

Courtesy The Guardian