Swiss Surveillance Law Amendment Sparks Privacy Concerns at UN Forum

Switzerland’s Surveillance Expansion Draws International Criticism

Privacy-focused technology company Proton has voiced strong opposition to Switzerland’s proposed surveillance law amendments during the War, Peace and Neutrality forum at the United Nations in Geneva, according to reports from the October 10 event. The legal head of Proton Mail reportedly characterized the legislation as “a first step in Europe” toward what critics describe as a war against online anonymity.

Switzerland’s Surveillance Expansion Draws International Criticism
Expanded Data Retention Requirements
Threat to Digital Trust and Business Competitiveness
Industry-Wide Opposition and Potential Relocation
Broader European Privacy Concerns
Proton’s Stance on Future Operations

Expanded Data Retention Requirements

Swiss lawmakers are seeking to significantly broaden data retention obligations that currently apply only to mobile networks and internet service providers, sources indicate. The proposed amendment would extend these requirements to all internet services with at least 5,000 users, including virtual private networks (VPNs), messaging applications, and social media platforms.

Analysts suggest the measures would compel affected services to identify their users and collect extensive personal data, storing this information for periods up to six months. Service providers would also be required to decrypt communications upon authorities’ request if they possess the necessary encryption keys, the report states.

Threat to Digital Trust and Business Competitiveness

Marc Loebekken, Head of Legal at Proton Mail, reportedly emphasized the unprecedented nature of these changes during his UN forum address. “Switzerland is taking a first step in Europe,” he stated, adding that the company strongly believes this would create “severe difficulty for Swiss businesses to compete, especially in the sector of digital trust, where it is fundamental to give customers power over the data.”

Proton, known for its popular VPN and encrypted email services, operates under a strict no-log privacy policy that prevents collecting identifiable user information. According to reports, this business model would be fundamentally incompatible with the proposed legislation’s requirements to de-anonymize users and store personal data including names, email addresses, and IP address logs.

Industry-Wide Opposition and Potential Relocation

Proton reportedly isn’t alone in its concerns, with other Swiss privacy providers including NymVPN, Threema, and Session also opposing the amendment. The collective opposition has fueled what analysts describe as a growing debate about online anonymity protections.

The company has already begun taking precautionary measures, sources indicate. Proton’s recently launched AI chatbot, Lumo, has already relocated its servers to Germany due to what the company terms “legal uncertainty” in Switzerland. Additionally, the firm is reportedly developing facilities in Norway and investing over €100 million to build what it describes as a “sovereign European stack” for its services.

Broader European Privacy Concerns

The Swiss legislation forms part of a larger European trend that privacy advocates find concerning, according to industry analysts. The EU Chat Control proposal and discussions around client-side scanning technology represent similar threats to encrypted communications, reports suggest.

Loebekken reportedly argued that despite coming from what he characterized as noble intentions, weakening encryption under security pretenses creates dangerous trade-offs that ultimately compromise everyone’s security. “These frameworks that are being pushed are not helpful,” he stated, adding that “they simply are not solutions and will create more problems.”

Proton’s Stance on Future Operations

The company has made its position clear regarding the potential impact on its operations in Switzerland. Loebekken has reportedly reiterated Proton CEO Andy Yen’s previous statement that the law would make Proton “less confidential than Google,” suggesting the company has “no choice but to leave” if the amendment passes.

Proton’s leadership reportedly believes that solving digital privacy concerns requires competition from emerging companies offering viable alternatives rather than additional regulation. “Whatever problem we have today with the reliance on those [Big Tech] providers is not solved by regulation,” Loebekken stated during the forum. “It’s solved by having our own emerging companies competing to get viable alternatives.”