Victory for Init7: Federal Supreme Court overturns network blocking order
Public prosecutor's offices cannot simply order internet providers to block websites. The Federal Supreme Court has ruled this, thereby upholding an appeal by the Winterthur-based provider Init7, which had contested the order.
Orders to block websites may only be issued in legally regulated special cases – otherwise, there is no legal basis for them. This was stated by the Federal Supreme Court in its ruling on November 4, 2026. The trigger for this investigation was a case of investment fraud in the Canton of Vaud. Through several websites, cybercriminals defrauded dozens of users out of more than 1.7 million Swiss francs. In July 2025, the Vaud public prosecutor's office therefore requested several providers to block these sites for their customers. They wanted to prevent more people from falling for the scam.
The authority relied on its power to seize items in the context of criminal proceedings. However, this power is not intended to force providers to block websites. Network blocks only exist in Switzerland if criminal proceedings concern an area where such measures are legally permitted. This applies to the Money Gaming Act, prohibited pornography, and certain cases of unfair competition. This was deliberately specified in legislation so that network blocks cannot be issued across the board.
Climate activist site could not be blocked either
The Vaud public prosecutor's office had already lost a court case previously. The Vaud Cantonal Court overturned the prosecutor's blocking order against the website of the group "Grondements des Terres". Investigators linked the group to an arson attack on the Holcim cement plant in the municipality of Bretonnières, which resulted in property damage. However, there was no call for violence anywhere on the website itself, which is why no causality could be established between the investigation and the movement's website. Here, too, it was Init7 that filed a complaint against the order.
Another complaint against a blocking order by the public prosecutor's office of the Canton of Valais is still pending.
What happens next
In its statement, Init7 speaks of a "clear verdict" and criticizes its peers. It claims to be the only provider that resisted the unlawful orders. The ruling is "a landmark from the perspective of democracy and freedom of information on the internet." The Vaud public prosecutor's office is less pleased. It feels restricted in the fight against crime and is calling for rapid action by parliament, as it stated to the SDA.
While no further blocks are in sight, the federal government is currently working on the revision of the Telecommunications Act. There, it may be possible to shut down web addresses with the .ch and .swiss extensions directly under certain conditions.
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
From the latest iPhone to the return of 80s fashion. The editorial team will help you make sense of it all.
Show all