It’s getting tight for the porn ban referendum

It will be tight for the referendum against the new Youth Protection Act. “So far we have about 20,000 signatures,” says Pascal Fouquet (41) of the Pirate Party, which held the referendum together with other organizations. The deadline for the referendum expires on January 19, 2023 – by which time 50,000 valid signatures must be collected.

Although the hurdle is high, Fouquet is confident. Two years ago, the situation was similar in the referendum against a new terrorism law. “It suddenly went ‘boom’ just before Christmas,” says the vice president of the Bernese Pirate Party. “In the end, we submitted more than 140,000 signatures.” As in the past, signature collection is now increasing significantly.

At that time, however, the signatures against the terrorism law could still be delivered to the Federal Chancellery uncertified due to the corona pandemic. This exemption no longer applies. And during the holidays, the counters in the communities are closed in many places. That doesn’t make it any easier.

Opponents speak of ‘identification obligation’

In addition, the new law has an enticing title: “Federal Law on the Protection of Minors in Motion Picture and Video Games.” It is intended to protect minors from content in films and video games “that may jeopardize their physical, mental, psychological, moral or social development”.

So it is not the protection of minors per se that is troubling the referendum leaders, but what they call “compulsory identification”.

The new law not only prescribes an age rating for films and video games, which indicates the age from which they can be used. But also an age check. For example, the age of underage consumers should not only be checked at the box office of the cinema, but also on online platforms. This not only affects porn channels, but also YouTube, Netflix and Co. In any case, for the first use of the services, an age verification system is required.

“Anyone who wants to watch a video on YouTube, for example, will first have to identify themselves in the future – also with children’s films,” says Fouquet. “This means that you must first create an account on each platform and verify your age.” This means that large internet companies could collect even more data about users. “It’s a huge violation of fundamental rights,” Fouquet said. Citizens have to get used to identifying themselves on the internet.

It is clear to him what will happen if the referendum coup fails. “Then there will soon be checkpoints or even network blockages everywhere in the network. We want to prevent that.”