Data Privacy Statement SRG SSR

The protection of your data is very important to us at the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR).  

We want you to feel safe and secure when using our SRG online platforms. The following guidelines provide an overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit our websites, when you use apps and online platforms, or when you contact us. We are happy to explain what personal data we collect and process, for what purpose we use it, who has access to it, how long we store it for, and what rights you have with regard to the processing of your personal data. 

This Data Privacy Statement is aligned with the Federal Data Protection Act (FADP) and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, the question of whether the GDPR applies to a certain processing activity depends on the individual case.

Last updated: September 2023

General

The data controller is SRG SSR Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, Giacomettistrasse 1, CH-3000 Bern 16 or the enterprise units of the SRG SSR Group that you contact, whose websites you visit, or whose apps or online platforms you use. 

The SRG SSR Group comprises: RTR, RTS, RSI, SRF, SWI and SWISS TXT. 

This Data Privacy Statement applies to all processing of personal data within the SRG SSR Group. The individual enterprise units of the SRG SSR Group may supplement this Data Privacy Statement with specific data protection provisions. In certain situations, e.g. job applications, specific data protection provisions may also apply. Please also note the additional data protection provisions that apply to the use of our websites, apps and social media channels, and the information on cookies. 

SRG reserves the right to modify the data protection provisions from time to time. You should therefore consult this Data Privacy Statement regularly. You will see the date of the last update at the top of the Data Privacy Statement. 

Personal data is information that relates to an identified or identifiable person and that could be used to personally identify you. We process the following categories of personal data for the purposes described below: 

Master data 

This includes your name, phone number, address or email address, copies of official identity documents, and other details about you that you disclose to us, e.g. when registering for SRG Login, for an app, for a newsletter, use of chat functions, through participation in programmes, competitions, surveys, or when you contact us.  

Contract data 

This is data that is processed to negotiate and conclude contracts. It includes  customer, supplier and application data, as well as billing, insurance, financial and tax data, and all data that we are legally required to process. 

Communication data 

If you contact us, depending on the reason and type of contact, we process the communication content in the form of letter post, e-mail, chat messages, social media posts, comments on our websites, phone calls, video conferences and documents.  

Analysis and usage data 

Analysis and usage data is data that we collect by means of cookies or when you use online services such as Play Suisse via your SRG Login: we record when you visit our platform and from where, how long you stay, what you look at during that time, and which site you visit next.

This data is collected as part of anonymised usage measurement. On the one hand, we collect and use this data to guarantee smooth provision of our websites and apps, and on the other, to analyse the use and optimisation of our offerings, e.g. for market research purposes and to compile audience statistics. This data is also stored in your preferences for when you use our platforms.  

This data is also processed to ensure that our output satisfies the various interests of our audiences. This usage measurement also helps us optimise our output and fulfil our legal performance mandate.

You can find more information about the use of cookies in our cookie notice

If you set up a user account with our SRG Login, we create an anonymous identifier. We use this identifier for our performance analysis to better understand the behaviour of our users on SRG websites and mobile applications, and to improve our offerings and the user experience. Here you will find more information on the SRG Login.

Programme announcements and marketing 

We inform you from time to time about our various offerings provided you have given your consent. This only concerns our own programming, content and offerings or those that are being offered on our behalf. It may also include prize draws, competitions or events. We process personal data for this purpose and send you messages in the post or by email. If we contact you via social media, we disclose your data in pseudonymised and encrypted form to the social media company. The social media platforms only use this data to check whether you have a profile on their platform. They subsequently delete your data and do not use it for any purposes other than this check.  

Technical data 

When you use our websites, apps or other online platforms, we collect technical data such as your IP address and log data, or we assign you an identifier or cookie. Use of our platforms does not usually allow you to be identified. We can only link this technical data to you if you have consented to this, or you are logged in through the SRG Login. 

Image and sound recordings 

When registering for or taking part in a programme, we may produce image and sound recordings of you as a participant, guest or contributor. Our premises are also under video surveillance for security reasons and visitors are filmed when entering the premises. Image and sound recordings are also possible in the context of phone calls or video conferences (although we always ask for your consent before recording). 

Data security 

We also process your personal data to ensure the security of our IT systems and to guarantee the security of our users' data. This particularly concerns technical data. 

Artificial intelligence

We may also use artificial intelligence to process personal data. The purpose of the processing is to better understand artificial intelligence and to be able to use it appropriately. We always have a human check and of course are mindful of protecting your data. We are aware that the use of artificial intelligence for data processing entails certain risks and uncertainties. We therefore have internal guidelines in place to guarantee legally and ethically responsible use of AI.

Legal requirements 

In order to comply with the legal requirements, when you use our platforms, we collect data such as your IP address in order to ensure the geo-blocking of certain content. We also process personal data as part of our own legal enforcement and defence processes (including issuing, administering and enforcing bans). 

The legal grounds listed below are applicable if a legal basis is required for data processing: 

If we obtain your consent to process your personal data, this serves as the legal basis. This is the case, for example, for newsletters, comments, any contact with or from you, the SRG Login, or competitions. 

We also process your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest resulting from our public service mandate and to fulfil our legal performance mandate. This includes processing for the purpose of providing and optimising the online platforms and in particular to measure usage and audience figures.

We also process your personal data on the basis of a contract or contract negotiation, for example when taking part in tender processes for services, as part of an application process, when handling a contract of employment, or the conclusion of any other contracts.

If personal data is processed on the basis of a legal requirement, that is considered the legal basis. This may be the case, for example, when disclosing personal data to third parties or retaining certain documents. 

The processing of image and sound recordings for television and radio is carried out in accordance with our journalistic guidelines.  

All personal data that is collected when you contact SRG or one of its enterprises, is disclosed within the SRG Group if this is necessary for the purpose of the relevant processing. You can object to this disclosure and processing at any time, as long as it does not conflict with other legal provisions (e.g. freedom of the press, journalistic guidelines).   

Furthermore, we may disclose data to third parties if we are legally required to do so, on the basis of legal regulations or due to a corresponding administrative or judicial order. 

When processing data, we also deploy service providers who are generally involved as 'processors' (in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act). These processors are always required to process the personal data of users of our online platforms only according to our instructions, and to take appropriate steps to ensure data security. For example, your email address may be passed on to a service provider so that it can send you a newsletter that you subscribed to. 

In principle, we only disclose your personal data to third parties outside of the SRG Group if you have given your consent or if there is a legitimate interest on our part.  We do not sell your personal data to third parties.  

We do pass on personal data to third parties or processors who are not based in Switzerland or an EU/EFTA/EEA country.

At present, personal data may be transmitted to the following countries, in addition to possible transmissions to EU/EFTA/EEA countries: Australia, India and the United States. 

In this case, before passing on the data, we check that the recipient has an appropriate level of data protection (e.g. through the use of the European Union's standard contractual clauses, or through consideration of the recommendations of the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner). 

 We store your data for as long as necessary to make our online platforms and the associated services available or for as long as we have a legitimate interest in storing it. In all other cases we delete your personal data if we are not required to keep it to meet legal obligations (such as to comply with retention periods under commercial, tax, or social security law). 

You have a right to be informed free of charge about the identity and contact details of the data controller, which personal data is processed, the purpose of the processing, the retention period of the personal data or, if this is not possible, the criteria for defining this period, the available details about the origin of the personal data if it was not obtained by us directly, or the existence of an automated decision if applicable and the logic on which this decision is based, about the recipients or the categories of recipients whose personal data is disclosed, information on processors who process personal data on our behalf, and on the right to data disclosure and portability. You also have a right to rectification, erasure and restriction of processing, and to withdraw consent or object to the processing.  

You can send your concern or subject access request in writing including a copy of your identity card or passport to our postal address: 

SRG SSR Swiss Broadcasting Corporation 
Data protection 
Giacomettistrasse 1 
CH-3000 Bern 16 

If you submit a concern or subject access request on behalf of someone else, you need to present an authorisation or other corresponding declaration that refers explicitly to enforcement of the relevant data protection law.

You can also contact us by email but please make sure that the data is then transmitted in unencrypted form, and that we can reply via the same channel: datenschutz(at)srgssr.ch  

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority, which in this case is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) in CH-3003 Bern.