Best Reviews logo
Best Reviews may receive compensation for its content through paid collaborations. See how we sustain our work & review products.
Switzerland Kissing Privacy Goodbye with New Surveillance Laws

Switzerland Kissing Privacy Goodbye with New Surveillance Laws

By Leo S.Leo S. Verified by Sander D.Sander D. Last updated: November 27, 2024 (0)
Table of contents

Ah Switzerland… that amazing country that gives us the finest watches and simply the best chocolates in the world, that same country that even calls people to poll to decide what bagel the stores are going to sell the next day. Although this time the voting was regarding something quite important and essential, less than half of the country’s population really gave any concerns about it. The Swiss government wanted to know people’s opinions on… pretty much getting spied upon. Unbelievably, 65% of the 43% of the total population who voted agreed to extend Swiss spy agencies the authority to monitor internet traffic, tap phones, deploy spy drones and hack foreign computer systems to combat militant attacks. In other words, online privacy in Switzerland will soon be a thing of the past.

The new world order

Truth being told the poll was made in order to prevent terrorism and to have a pretext for online spying of potentially dangerous individuals as the Swiss government says this will only be used once a month and only to monitor specific high risk suspects. Nevertheless this will indeed throw any individual’s privacy out of the window since… well… who can trust what any government says? “With this law, we’re leaving the basement and coming up to the ground floor by international standards” said Swiss Defense Minister Guy Parmelin. According to opponents of the law, this is a danger to the country’s usual neutrality, one that will set a precedent for mass surveillance. Amnesty International also stood its ground alongside those who do not agree with this measure as stated that these new laws will result in “disproportionate” levels of surveillance in the Alpine lands.

Practical consequences and a big question mark

If you’re a Swiss, this means that as a last result your ISP will now be forced to store logs of your online activity and the same can be applied for VPN companies headquartered in that territory. However, this will always be kind of a grey area, as the average user cannot really tell if his/her online information is indeed saved or not. Let’s consider Golden Frog’s VyprVPN, one of the best Swiss VPNs currently on the market that – as our review showed you – counts with innovative protocol support among other useful features.

Up to 72% off NordVPN 2-year plans
NordVPN logo
Subscribe to NordVPN through our affiliate link and save up to 72% on 2-year plans. Do it with no fear by knowing that your purchase is protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Save Up to 74% on NordVPN

Before the new laws were approved by less than half of the population, the company’s policy was that “the information captured in the connection log is stored on the VPN client only for diagnostic and troubleshooting purposes” which already leaves some dust in the air. Evermore, the new laws now oblige companies to act in accordance with them, so this dubious feeling we’re left with will get even darker and we cannot avoid wondering what will be the government and local legal authorities’ position regarding practices such as torrenting, regardless of the new laws being supposed to only strike terrorism.


Best VPN services of 2025

Editor's choice
NordVPN logo
Editor's rating:
(4.5)
Intuitive multiplatform apps
Double VPN and P2P support
Plenty of security features
Large VPN network with consistent speeds
Security
Surfshark logo
Editor's rating:
(4)
Intuitive multiplatform apps
Double VPN
WireGuard protocol
Outstanding device support
Multi-device users
IPVanish logo
Editor's rating:
(4.5)
Unlimited devices
No-log policy
24/7 support
Reliable security tools
Gaming
ExpressVPN logo
Editor's rating:
(4)
Extensive device support
Exceptional speed
Intuitive apps
Convenient extras
Traveling
CyberGhost VPN logo
Editor's rating:
(4.5)
Suitable for all VPN users
Great security features
Seven simultaneous connections
24/7 customer support
Streaming
ZoogVPN logo
Editor's rating:
(4.5)
24/7 customer service
Competitive price
Good connection speed
Based in Greece
Torrenting
Private Internet Access logo
Editor's rating:
(4.5)
Unlimited devices
DNS leak protection
Suitable for all users
Completely customizable
Beginners
TunnelBear logo
Editor's rating:
(4)
Very easy and fun to use
Kill switch and traffic obfuscato
Browser extensions and Chrome blocker
Good speeds

User feedback

 Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Best Reviews

Best Reviews may receive compensation for its content through paid collaborations and/or affiliate links. Learn more about how we sustain our work and review products.

©2012-2025 Best Reviews, a clovio brand – All rights reserved
Privacy policy · Cookie policy · Terms of use · Partnerships · Contact us