Internet & Online Safety - Switzerland

On 29 October 2025 the Federal Council launched consultation on a draft Federal Act on Communication Platforms and Search Engines, modelled on the EU DSA. It would impose content-reporting mechanisms, internal complaints procedures, mandatory participation in certified out-of-court dispute resolution, advertising-archive obligations, and transparency on recommendation systems. Consultation closed 16 February 2026; parliamentary timeline not yet set.

The KoPSG draft targets only platforms whose primary function is to store and publicly disseminate user content and that have at least 10% of Switzerland's resident population (≈900,000 people) as monthly active users over a six-month period, plus large search engines. Smaller services are excluded.

The Federal Act on the Protection of Minors in Films and Video Games (JSFVG), passed September 2022 and progressively in force since 2024, requires on-demand service providers to implement age-verification and parental-control systems before first use, and to restrict access to age-inappropriate content including pornography (minimum age 16).

Switzerland is not an EU member and the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) is not directly Swiss law, but Swiss-based companies that offer services to EU users and qualify as intermediary services under the DSA must comply with its obligations. Major platforms operating in Switzerland are therefore subject to DSA requirements in parallel with any forthcoming Swiss rules.

In January 2025 the Federal Council opened consultation (closed 6 May 2025) on a partial revision of the telecommunications-surveillance ordinance (VÜPF). Key proposals include requiring Swiss email and VPN providers with ≥5,000 users to log and retain IP metadata for six months and to deliver metadata to authorities in real time; Article 50a would compel providers to decrypt data they have themselves encrypted. Significant industry and civil-society opposition has been lodged; a final decision was expected no earlier than autumn 2025.

The revised Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP/DSG) has been in force since 1 September 2023. It significantly updated Switzerland's data-protection framework (bringing it closer to GDPR standards) and imposes obligations on platforms and online services processing Swiss residents' personal data, including breach notification, privacy-by-design, and data-processing impact assessments.