The .swiss domain should now also be available to private individuals

From the first half of 2024, people who live in Switzerland or have the Swiss nationality will also be able to purchase a domain name with the .swiss ending. The Federal Council has adopted a revision of the corresponding regulation.

Individual companies without registration in the commercial register, such as architects or craftsmen, should also be given the opportunity to obtain a .swiss domain name, according to a press release from the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) on Wednesday.

The Bundesrat has therefore decided to relax the requirements for the assignment of these Internet addresses, which are laid down in the Regulation on Internet Domains (OID).

As a result, “the entire Swiss community will have access to a high-quality and maximum security namespace dedicated to them,” it said. According to the announcement, the federal government set itself this goal when it took over the operation of the .swiss domain.

On Wednesday, the Federal Council instructed OFCOM, the registry operator of the .swiss domain, to prepare for the opening of the registry.

meet conditions

However, according to OFCOM, a person must meet certain conditions in order to get a .swiss domain name. The requested designation must contain at least one of the official surnames or another surname registered with the civil registry.

In addition, Swiss nationals living abroad are only allowed to use their domain names with the .swiss extension for private, charitable or association purposes. However, this may not be used for commercial activities from abroad, OFCOM writes.

The regulation also contains provisions on the order of allocation when multiple applications are submitted for the same .swiss domain name.

Fight against cybercrime

Since its launch in 2016, .swiss domain names have been reserved for legal entities such as companies, organizations or associations. At the beginning of May 2023, almost 19,000 domain names with the .swiss extension were registered.

With the revision of the OID, the Federal Council also wants to do more to combat cybercrime. In the future, for example, if abuse is suspected, the domain will be blocked more quickly and, if necessary, the assignment will be revoked. (aeg/sda)