Minors in Switzerland will be better protected on social media sites; Swiss mortgages have become more expensive; and more news in our Thursday roundup.
Children in Switzerland will be better protected on social media sites
New rules will enable users to easily report any content suspected to be unlawful, such as defamation, insults, or discrimination, the Federal Council announced on Wednesday.
The measure targets particularly very large platforms popular with children and teens, like TikTok, Meta, and X, as well as AI-powered search engines.
These sites will be required to analyse the extent to which their services create or exacerbate risks for minors.
Furthermore, providers will be prohibited from offering minors advertising based on profiling – that is, based on an analysis of their online behaviour and personal characteristics.
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Swiss mortgages have become more expensive
Rising interest rates in capital markets have driven up banks’ refinancing costs in the third quarter of 2026, impacting particularly fixed-rate mortgages.
In September, they stood at 2.07 percent for a 10-year fixed-rate mortgage, the online comparison portal Comparis reported this week.
For a five-year fixed-rate mortgage, the rate was 1.90 percent, though 1.38 was the previous average.
Government wants to grant voting rights to people with mental disabilities
In Switzerland, people diagnosed with psychiatric disorders that cloud their judgement are currently not permitted to vote or participate in elections at the national level.
However, the Federal Council wants to do away with this restriction and has submitted a proposal to this effect for public consultation on Wednesday.
The plan involves amending the Constitution and relevant laws so that all Swiss citizens of legal age will be able to participate in the political process at the federal level, the government said.
Accidents involving wildlife are rising in Switzerland – more so in some regions
In most people’s minds, the word ‘collision’ conjures up images of vehicle accidents. However, as latest statistics reveals, some of them involve animals.
According to new data from Mobiliar insurance, the number of reported crashes between motorists and wildlife – most commonly deer, fox, and badgers – are on the rise, particularly in autumn.
The accident rate varies from one canton to another, however.
It is highest in Thurgau, with 2.05 claims per 1,000 insured vehicles, followed by Graubünden (1.85) and Jura (1.75) – all of which excee the
Swiss average of 1.16 wildlife collisions per 1,000 vehicles.
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