Swiss government revises platform rules to strengthen child protection

The Swiss Federal Council is revising its proposed rules for large online platforms and search engines, with stronger protections for young users among the changes. The government aims to submit a bill to parliament by summer, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reports.

The draft would require technology companies to assess how their services could put minors at risk and explain what they are doing to reduce those risks. Switzerland also plans to follow European Union rules barring targeted advertising to children and young people based on their profiles. Officials are still examining whether to set a minimum age for using social media.

The proposal would also give users a way to report any content they believe may be illegal. The original draft included a closed list of reportable content, but the Federal Council now considers that approach inconsistent. Companies would have to explain how they handle reports. If people affected by a decision are dissatisfied, they could pursue the matter through a dispute-resolution body that platforms would be required to establish. Companies would also have to appoint at least one legal representative in Switzerland.

The Federal Council is responding to criticism that the draft was both incomplete and at risk of overregulating technology companies. Parliament has also called for protections against harmful social media use and for consideration of its effects on young people’s mental health.

Switzerland does not plan to adopt the EU’s Digital Services Act, opting instead to set its own rules with the country’s business environment and innovation in mind. Google Switzerland, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Microsoft Switzerland expressed opposition or partial opposition to the draft. The proposed protections for adults differ from those for minors, a distinction welcomed by right-wing groups and criticised by centre-left parties.