Digital communication

Social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs present legislation with new challenges. However, these cannot be overcome by a separate special law. This is the conclusion reached by a Federal Council report in response to the Amherd postulate referred by the National Council in relation to the legal situation relating to social media.

The electronic signature is a technical procedure for guaranteeing the authenticity of a document, a message or other electronic data and ensuring the identity of the signatory. It is based on an infrastructure managed by certification services providers. In order to encourage the development of e-commerce, the legislator allows certification service providers to become a recognised provider on an optional basis. In this way, they are able to demonstrate that the quality, reliability and security of the services they provide comply with the applicable standards. Under certain conditions, the law also treats electronic signatures as equivalent to handwritten signatures.