20 Minutes.
According to the newspaper 20 Minutes, the national Councillor Jean Christophe Schwaab is asking how well the SwissPass protects your personal data.
The CEO of Swiss Rail presents his Swisspass – Source: Facebook
The recently launched SwissPass card, which can be used on Swiss trains, other transport networks and in ski areas is already being criticised. Councillor Schwaab has brought his concerns of privacy protection to the attention of the Federal council in Bern. “User data can be shared with third parties and used for marketing purposes unless users expressly request that it can’t be. Users are not explicitly alerted to this possibility and must take steps themselves to prevent data sharing, which goes against modern thinking on data protection” Schwaab told the Federal council, demanding that the government ensure better protection and confirm the legality of this practice.
According to Swiss Rail the SwissPass is used by 240 public transport companies in Switzerland. “Data is only transferred to partners” said a Swiss Rail spokesperson. “Customers can opt out of the marketing related data sharing when buying the card” he added. The SwissPass has been presented to the Federal commissioner of data protection who accepted it without objection.
Swiss Rail text on data protection (in English)
Swiss Rail contact details (in English)
Full article on 20 Minutes (in French)
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook 
