INDEX / DIRECTORY / KLARNA / POLITICAL

Klarna POLITICAL

POLITICAL AUDIT UPDATED 2026-09-22
Political Score 4.50 /10 D Klarna - BDS-1000 383
Political 4.50

Evidence-only forensic audit. Scoring happens downstream - see the main dossier for the composite assessment.

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Corporate Communications & Public Stance

No public evidence identified in targeted live searches of an official Klarna statement, press release, interview, or policy since 2023 expressly addressing Israel, Palestine, Gaza, settlements, occupation, or BDS.1

Klarna’s advertiser-policy page restricts use of its services by businesses registered or operating in listed jurisdictions and regions, and restricts advertising involving merchants shipping from, or consumers with billing or shipping addresses in, those places.1 The list expressly includes “Palestine” and “West Bank (Palestinian Territory),” but not Israel.1 The policy provides no Israel/Palestine-conflict rationale and does not explain its treatment of settlements, East Jerusalem, Gaza, or Israeli merchants serving those places.1

Operations in Occupied or Contested Territories

Klarna’s 2019 annual report states that a restructuring reserve related to closure of its Tel Aviv office in Israel.2 A 2018 report stated that Klarna was shutting its Tel Aviv development centre to focus on key commercial markets where its clients were located.3 Klarna’s 2018 ESG report independently identifies “Klarna Ltd. Israel” in its travel-emissions table and states that its Tel Aviv office site closed in 2018.4

Klarna Bank AB’s 2022 annual report listed Analyzd Technologies Ltd., Cyprus, as a wholly owned subsidiary, but the filing does not establish Israeli or occupied-territory operations by that entity.5 The same report listed “Klarna Ltd. Israel” among group companies by geographical area, with nil net operating income in 2021 and 2022, but does not establish its ownership chain, activity, office presence, or later legal status.5

Klarna’s 2025 Form 20-F and annual report do not identify an Israeli-incorporated group subsidiary in their consolidated-subsidiary disclosures.6, 7 The disclosures likewise do not identify entities incorporated in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, or Golan Heights, but do not rule out cross-border customer, merchant, vendor, or contractual activity.6, 7

PayPal’s Israel-localized Alternative Payment Methods Agreement identifies Klarna as an option offered in cooperation with Klarna to PayPal merchants seeking to let buyers pay online using Klarna.8 This supports availability through that Israel-localized PayPal channel but does not identify participating merchants, their physical locations, settlement connections, government customers, or transaction volumes.8

No public evidence identified of Klarna-owned facilities, payment terminals, direct merchant contracts, resellers, or identified customer operations in Israeli settlements, East Jerusalem settlements, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, or Golan Heights.6, 7, 9, 10 The supplied review found no Klarna mention in the specified 2023 and 2025 OHCHR settlement-business materials, a document-scoped result that does not establish a database-wide absence.9, 10

Internal Governance, Content & Retail Policies

The reviewed PayPal agreement does not identify territorial-screening, settlement-labeling, or settlement-exclusion provisions for Klarna in the material assessed.8 Klarna’s current advertiser policy restricts advertising and associated shipping routes involving businesses registered or operating in “Palestine” and “West Bank (Palestinian Territory).”1

No public evidence identified of Klarna-specific policies for settlement-product labeling, sourcing, categorization, restricted-merchant enforcement, or differentiated Israeli- and Palestinian-goods treatment.6, 7, 8, 1 no public evidence identified of a documented Israel/Palestine-specific employment action, staff-speech enforcement, boycott-demand response, content-moderation decision, named merchant/customer enforcement action, or response to a settlement-related boycott or divestment demand.6, 7, 9, 10, 1

No public evidence identified in the reviewed sources of a Klarna-specific legal action, regulatory action, OECD National Contact Point complaint, or organized boycott campaign alleging settlement-related operations.6, 9, 10

Brand Heritage & State Partnerships

Klarna Group plc is an active English public limited company incorporated in November 2022, renamed from Klarna UK II plc in December 2023, and classified by Companies House as a holding company.11 Klarna’s 2025 annual report states that a May 2024 reorganisation made Klarna Group plc the group’s ultimate parent, and records that several Swedish holding entities were transferred to it during a first-quarter 2025 internal restructuring without changing the ultimate controlling party.7

Klarna Bank AB (publ), Sweden, is the group’s Swedish banking subsidiary and is supervised by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority; Klarna Financial Services UK Limited is identified as FCA-authorised for consumer-credit and e-money services.12 no public evidence identified of a state-held golden share, governmental controlling interest, or corporate charter provision tying Klarna’s mission to Israeli or other state geopolitical objectives.6, 7, 11, 13

A 2016 Swedish-Israeli Chamber of Commerce circular states that Klarna AB received the Chamber’s Sweden–Israel Trade Award and that CEO/co-founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski accepted the award and presented on Klarna’s development.14 This is evidence of a historical trade-chamber award and attendance, not evidence of a state contract, settlement activity, political advocacy, or an ongoing relationship.14

No public evidence identified of a state partnership, procurement arrangement, or technical integration specifically serving the Israel Defense Forces, Israeli Ministry of Defense, settlement authorities, or military sites.8 The identified PayPal arrangement is a general online-merchant payment mechanism and does not identify any military, government, or settlement customer.8

Lobbying, Advocacy, Financing & Logistics

No public evidence identified of Klarna corporate donations, payment-fee waivers, free payment services, logistics, merchant services, or other company resources directed to the IDF, Israeli Ministry of Defense, military-welfare bodies, Friends of the IDF, JNF/KKL, settlement organizations, reservist funds, or state-aligned conflict-relief bodies.6, 7, 8, 9, 10 The reviewed source set also did not identify continuation or escalation of such a mechanism after the July 2024 ICJ advisory opinion or November 2024 ICC arrest warrants; this is a search-bounded finding rather than confirmation that no transactions or relationships occurred.6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The available evidence does not identify a Klarna merchant-integration, enterprise-distribution, or technical arrangement specifically serving Israeli military, settlement, or government entities.8 The research record does not establish which Israel-based merchants, if any, use Klarna directly or through PayPal, or their locations.8

The UK parliamentary register records Klarna as donor of two tickets, valued at £378, to the Country to Country event received and accepted by Andrew Percy MP in March 2023.15 The register gives no Israel/Palestine-related purpose or regional-policy connection for that hospitality.15

Corporate Structure & Primary Mission

Klarna Group plc’s 2025 annual report identifies group entities in Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, Jersey, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, and Spain, alongside PriceRunner and Stocard entities.7 The disclosed subsidiary list does not identify entities incorporated in Israel, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, or the Golan Heights, but does not rule out cross-border customer, merchant, vendor, or contractual activity.7

Klarna Group plc completed its IPO in September 2025, with ordinary shares beginning trading on the NYSE under the symbol “KLAR.”6 Klarna’s Form 20-F identifies Sequoia Capital-affiliated entities, Heartland A/S, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Victor Jacobsson, and Commonwealth Bank of Australia as holders of five percent or more of ordinary-share voting rights as of 31 December 2025.6

Executive & Leadership Footprint

Sebastian Siemiatkowski is identified in a 2026 Form 3 as Klarna’s Chief Executive Officer, director, and 10% owner for U.S. insider-reporting purposes.16 The filing reports ordinary and enhanced-vote Class B holdings held through Flat Capital AB and Double Sunday AB, and states that Class B shares carry ten votes each.16 Siemiatkowski’s 2025 Schedule 13G also reported enhanced-vote Class B holdings and Class C option holdings.17 The Form 3 states that each Class C share carries ten votes and is convertible into one-half of an ordinary share plus a deferred share with no economic value.16

Companies House records Siemiatkowski as having ceased to be a registrable PSC on 23 May 2024, while its historical entry described ownership of at least 75% of shares and voting rights and rights to appoint or remove directors.13 Companies House states that it no longer updates PSC information for the company from 6 November 2025 because Klarna has voting shares admitted to trading on a listed market; that cessation is therefore not evidence that Siemiatkowski lacks substantial current economic or voting interests.13, 16

Klarna’s leadership page identifies Siemiatkowski as CEO and lists David Sykes, Niclas Neglén, David Fock, Yaron Shaer, David Sandström, Joachim Reuss, Michelle Holmes, Syed Rizvi, Boudien Moerman, and Harjyot Lidher in senior management roles.18 Klarna’s May 2026 AGM notice identifies Sir Michael J. Moritz KBE as chair and lists Roger W. Ferguson Jr., Lise Kaae, Omid Kordestani, Neglén, Andrew Reed, Siemiatkowski, Sarah Smith, Mateusz Staniszewski, and Markus Villig as directors.19

No public evidence identified in targeted searches of Siemiatkowski’s personal Israel/Palestine-related advocacy, military-welfare or settlement donations, Israel-linked defence or surveillance investments, or leadership role in specified Israel/Palestine advocacy bodies.14 The identified 2016 trade-chamber award does not establish such advocacy or an ongoing relationship.14

Klarna’s Form 20-F identifies Nina Siemiatkowski, the CEO’s spouse, as CEO and majority owner of Milkywire and as a WRLD Foundation board member.20 It reports payments to Milkywire for sustainability services and donations to WRLD Foundation between 2023 and 2025, with Sebastian Siemiatkowski recusing himself from approval, but does not identify Israel/Palestine-related recipients.20

Footnotes

  1. https://docs.klarna.com/acquirer/klarna/resources/legal-and-compliance/more-solutions-guidelines/ad-policies-for-klarna-advertisers/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. https://owp.klarna.com/legacy/assets/2020/04/Klarna_Holding_AB_Annual_Report_2019_EN.pdf ↩

  3. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0%2C7340%2CL-3731793%2C00.html ↩

  4. https://owp.klarna.com/legacy/assets/sites/3/2019/10/14132903/ESG-Report-2018-Final.pdf ↩

  5. https://owp.klarna.com/legacy/assets/sites/15/2023/02/27194134/2022-Klarna-Bank-AB_Annual-Report_EN.pdf ↩ ↩2

  6. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2003292/000200329226000007/klar-20251231.htm ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  7. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2003292/000162828026038366/annualreport2025.htm ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  8. https://www.paypal.com/il/legalhub/paypal/apm-tnc?locale.x=en_IL ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  9. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session31/database-hrc3136/23-06-30-Update-israeli-settlement-opt-database-hrc3136.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  10. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/un-human-rights-office-updates-database-businesses-involved-israeli ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  11. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14467769 ↩ ↩2

  12. https://investors.klarna.com/governance/Governance-Oversight/ ↩

  13. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14467769/persons-with-significant-control ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  14. https://www.swedenisraelcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/93949c_b9a8481004884d52bc73924101199af6-1.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  15. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/231211/231211.pdf ↩ ↩2

  16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2003292/000209710726000001/xslF345X06/primary_doc.xml ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  17. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2003292/000095010325014930/xslSCHEDULE_13G_X01/primary_doc.xml ↩

  18. https://investors.klarna.com/governance/leadership/ ↩

  19. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2003292/000162828026038366/a2026agm-noticeofmeeting.htm ↩

  20. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2003292/000200329226000007/R32.htm ↩ ↩2