Switzerland: Swiss Federal Council announced Bill on regulation of online communication platforms including user speech rights

On 5 April 2023, the Swiss Federal Council instructed the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) to prepare a draft Bill for consultation on the regulation of communication platforms, including provisions on user speech rights. The draft should require large communication platforms to provide an internal complaint mechanism for users whose accounts are blocked or whose content is removed. The draft should also establish an independent Swiss out-of-court dispute settlement body funded by the platforms to review user complaints. The Swiss Federal Council set a deadline of end of March 2024 for DETEC to prepare the draft bill.