Art. 38 Radio communications intelligence

¹ The Confederation may operate a service for recording electro-magnetic emissions from telecommunications systems located abroad (radio communications intelligence).

² Radio communications intelligence has the following purposes:

a.: information gathering about events outside Switzerland that are of significance to security, in particular relating to terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and foreign conflicts that have an effect on Switzerland;
b.: safeguarding of other important national interests in accordance with Article 3.

³ The Federal Council shall regulate the fields of communications intelligence, and the organisation and procedures for radio communications intelligence. It shall specify for how long the recorded communications and connection data may be retained by the service carrying out the communications intelligence.

⁴ It shall in particular ensure that from the recorded communications the service carrying out the communications intelligence:

a.: only passes on information relating to events outside Switzerland that are of significance to security;
b.: only passes on information about persons in Switzerland if the information is required to understand an event abroad and has been anonymised beforehand.

⁵ The service carrying out the communications intelligence shall pass on information about events in Switzerland obtained from the recorded communications if the information provides evidence of a specific threat to internal security in accordance with Article 6 paragraph 1 letter a.

⁶ If it comes across recorded communications in the course of its activities that contain no information about events outside Switzerland that are of significance to security and no evidence of any specific threat to internal security, it shall destroy the recordings as quickly as possible.

Art. 38 Exploraziun radiofonica

¹ La Confederaziun po manar in servetsch per registrar emissiuns electromagneticas da sistems da telecommunicaziun che sa chattan a l’exteriur (exploraziun radiofonica).

² L’exploraziun radiofonica serva a:

a.: procurar infurmaziuns che han ina relevanza per la politica da segirezza davart andaments a l’exteriur, oravant tut dals secturs dal terrorissem, da la derasaziun d’armas da destrucziun en massa e da conflicts a l’exteriur che han consequenzas per la Svizra;
b.: proteger ulteriurs interess impurtants da la Svizra tenor l’artitgel 3.

³ Il Cussegl federal regla ils secturs d’exploraziun, l’organisaziun e la procedura da l’exploraziun radiofonica. El fixescha quant ditg che las communicaziuns e las datas da colliaziun registradas dastgan restar arcunadas tar il servetsch che fa l’exploraziun radiofonica.

⁴ En quest connex garantescha el en spezial ch’il servetsch che fa l’exploraziun radiofonica transferescha da las communicaziuns registradas:

a.: mo infurmaziuns davart andaments a l’exteriur che han ina relevanza per la politica da segirezza;
b.: mo infurmaziuns davart persunas en Svizra, sch’ellas èn necessarias per encleger in andament a l’exteriur e sch’ellas èn vegnidas anonimisadas ordavant.

⁵ Il servetsch che fa l’exploraziun radiofonica transferescha da las communicaziuns registradas infurmaziuns davart andaments en Svizra, sch’ellas renvieschan ad ina smanatscha concreta da la segirezza interna tenor l’artitgel 6 alinea 1 litera a.

⁶ Sch’el frunta tar sia activitad sin communicaziuns registradas che na cuntegnan naginas infurmaziuns davart andaments a l’exteriur che han ina relevanza per la politica da segirezza e nagins renviaments ad ina smanatscha concreta da la segirezza interna, destruescha el quellas communicaziuns uschè svelt sco pussaivel.

This document is not an official publication. Only the publication of the Federal Chancellery is legally binding.
Il presente documento non è una pubblicazione ufficiale. Fa unicamente fede la pubblicazione della Cancelleria federale. Ordinanza sulle pubblicazioni ufficiali, OPubl.