Switzerland tightens rules to protect children online

Istanbul (ANTARA) – Switzerland plans to tighten rules for major communication platforms and search engines to improve the protection of children online, the Swiss Federal Council said on Wednesday.

Under the draft legislation, major platforms and search engines, including those using artificial intelligence, would be required to assess the risks their services pose to children and take steps to reduce them.

Service providers would also be prohibited from showing children adverts based on user profiles created by analysing their online behaviour and characteristics.

The Federal Council said the draft law received broad support during the consultation process, including from most political parties represented in the Federal Assembly, regional governments and national organisations.

The legislation aims to strengthen users’ rights and improve transparency on major communication platforms and search engines, as the public increasingly relies on these services for information.

The rules would also require communication platform providers to offer a mechanism through which users can easily report content they suspect is illegal.

The law would apply to very large communication platforms and search engines, while smaller services would fall outside its scope.

The Federal Council also said it would consider whether additional measures to protect children and young people should be included in the draft legislation.