Jurisdiction-specific data protection, defamation law, and removal process information for Switzerland. Last reviewed 2025.
Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC / Eidgenössischer Datenschutz- und Ãffentlichkeitsbeauftragter, EDÃB) is the supervisory authority for data protection in Switzerland. Individuals can file erasure and data-related complaints directly with this authority.
Revised Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP, in force since September 2023) â Switzerland's GDPR-equivalent
The revFADP, which came into full effect in September 2023, modernised Swiss privacy law significantly. It introduced rights including erasure and data portability, bringing Switzerland into alignment with GDPR. Businesses must comply even if based outside Switzerland if they process Swiss residents' data.
Swiss defamation law (Ehrverletzungsdelikte) is codified in Articles 173-178 of the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB). Switzerland criminalises both defamation (øble Nachrede) and calumny (Verleumdung). Victims can bring criminal charges, creating strong leverage for content removal.
The FDPIC investigates complaints and issues recommendations; binding enforcement goes through courts. Swiss courts can order content removal via civil interim injunctions (superprovisorische Verfügung), often issued within 24 hours in urgent cases.
Common Swiss sources requiring removal include 20min.ch, SRF.ch, Blick.ch, NZZ.ch, Tages-Anzeiger, and cantonal newspapers such as La Tribune de Genève and Le Matin (covering the French-speaking regions).
Switzerland's multilingual media landscape (German, French, Italian, and Romansh) means content often appears in multiple editions across different outlets. Removal typically needs to address all language versions of a story to be fully effective.