Switzerland’s Federal Council has launched the consultation process for revising the Intelligence Service Act (ISA) to expand the procurement measures that require approval. This will help detect and investigate violent extremist activities promptly. It will also help reorganize the data management of the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS), and transfer the tasks of the Independent Control Body for Radio and Cable Intelligence (ICBRCI) to the Supervisory Authority for Intelligence Service Activities (SAISA).
The revision of the ISA will create a new procurement measure for obtaining data from financial intermediaries. This would allow the FIS to clarify suspicious financial flows by requesting information on transactions from financial intermediaries.
The revised law also regulates the categories of intelligence data, while upholding the revised Data Protection Act that will come into force in 2023. Further, the proposed amendment proposes to examine the merger of the two independent supervisory bodies (ICBRCI and SAISA). The transfer of the tasks of the ICBRCI to the supervisory authority will more comprehensively embed the control of radio and cable investigation in supervisory activities.
Note that consultation on this revised law is open until September 9, 2022.
Source: Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport, Switzerland
