Advertisement

The electronic signature under Swiss law is not yet recognised in the EU, which leads to legal uncertainties and practical problems. The Federal Council has now instructed DETEC and the FDFA to draw up a negotiating mandate with the EU in order to push ahead with mutual recognition. This could bring more legal certainty for companies and private individuals. But what challenges remain?

Telecommunications providers must cooperate in surveillance - but who exactly? And what data do they have to hand over? The new regulations impose clear obligations.

FINMA has formulated clear expectations for financial companies in its Supervisory Communication 08/2024 on governance and risk management in the use of artificial intelligence. The focus is on governance, risk management and compliance requirements, which have often been insufficiently taken into account to date. In this article, we explain which specific requirements now apply and which measures companies should take.

Cookies make surfing the web easier, save settings and enable targeted advertising. At the same time, they raise significant data protection issues. In his latest guidelines, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) has specified the requirements that companies and website operators must observe when using cookies in Switzerland. The main focus is on consent requirements, tracking and the processing principles of the Data Protection Act (DPA). Which cookies are still permitted, when explicit consent is required and what requirements are placed on consent banners - we clarify the most important questions.

In the Federal Supreme Court decision 6B_1372/2023 of 13 November 2024, the Federal Supreme Court ruled that speeding offences no longer necessarily have to be punished with a custodial sentence. This also applies to new drivers, provided that no serious traffic offence has been committed in the last 10 years. This article explains how the court came to this judgement, the legal background and what should be taken into account.

Sustainability is no longer a niche topic, but an essential component of modern corporate communication. More and more companies are presenting themselves as "green", "climate-neutral", "CO₂-neutral", "net zero" or "sustainable". However, not all of these messages are serious and can be taken at face value. Many consumers feel deceived by so-called "greenwashing" strategies, as environmental claims are often used that are barely verifiable or even misleading. This is where the new Art. 3 para. 1 lit. x of the Swiss Federal Act against Unfair Competition (UCA) comes in, which now creates clear rules for climate-related claims.

Important changes to the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure came into force on 1 January 2025. The aim of the revision was to make court proceedings simpler, faster and more cost-effective. The changes mainly relate to legal costs, time limits, evidence, the conciliation procedure and the so-called novelty barrier, i.e. facts or evidence submitted late. The most important changes are explained below.

In her motion on the declaration of advertising by influencers in Switzerland, Rumy Farah calls on the Federal Council to create a legal basis for influencer advertising, as such advertising is often not declared correctly. However, the Federal Council relies on the UCA and the practice of the SLK and recognises no legal uncertainty due to the lack of legislation and therefore no need to create a legal basis

In the following article, we inform you about the introduction of the international automatic exchange of information (AEOI) on crypto assets with the relevant partner states from 2026.