- National Council rejected the motion to amend the law on deepfake regulation on May 6, 2025; mandatory labeling was discussed but not introduced.
- Federal Council refers to upcoming consultation draft on AI regulation (FDJP, end of 2026); Parliament can submit proposals on deepfakes.
NR Raphaël Mahaim (Greens) had been in the running with a Motion from 04.05.2023 demanded that the Federal Council propose legislative amendments to regulate the use of deepfakes in the public sphere. The Federal Council had requested rejection: even abroad, only the then draft of the AI Act contained a specific regulation on “deepfakes”, in Switzerland there was a foreseeable need for regulation in relation to AI, the Federal Council’s interpretative analysis had to be awaited, and there were no gaps in criminal or civil law.
The National Council adopted the motion on May 6, 2025 after a short discussion rejected. Mahaim emphasized that satire, photomontages, criticism and art should remain possible. However, a labeling requirement should make large-scale deception impossible. However, BR Rösti referred to the ratification of the AI Convention and the mandate to the FDJP, among others, to develop a Consultation draft on the regulation of AI to be prepared. With this bill, Parliament can Applications also for deep fakes place:
For us, legal measures are particularly necessary in the areas of transparency, data protection, non-discrimination and supervision. Minimal regulation seems to us to be appropriate here. The Federal Council is of the opinion that this consultation draft can be awaited before individual decisions are made prematurely.
In response to a query from Mahaim, the planned platform regulation Rösti also noted,
Firstly, I can tell you that the bill on the regulation of communication platforms is ready. It was approved in the Federal Council merely postponedbut it will be dealt with in the foreseeable future. Secondly, we are not late in regulating artificial intelligence. We have carried out a global analysis of important industrialized nations for the Federal Council in this regard, and we can say that we are not at the bottom of the league in terms of regulation. Generally speaking – and the ministerial conference in Paris also showed this – the fear is rather that you will regulate too quickly or slow down innovations too quickly. This danger is greater than regulating too slowly. This is why the Federal Council has set this timetable. The FDJP has the mandate to present such a regulation in 2026.
The NR voted against the motion by 111 votes to 70 (Media release). The same fate is likely to befall other proposals until something concrete is available by the end of 2026. In terms of democratic policy, it is therefore important that there are no lengthy delays here, as was the case with the interpretative report.