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Internet provider ordered to reveal identity of child pornographer

The federal court has ordered one of Switzerland's leading Internet providers to disclose the identity of a suspected child pornographer.

The Lausanne-based court ruled on Monday that “Swiss Online” must disclose the suspect’s identity and address to the authorities in canton Zurich.

The ruling comes after the company appealed against a decision last June by a Zurich court, which had ordered it to reveal the name of one of its subscribers. The client in question had posted child pornography on his website.

Swiss Online had argued that there was no legal basis for the ruling, but the court said that the federal laws governing communications applied in such cases.

The Swiss authorities were alerted to the website in May 1999 by German subscribers.

swissinfo with agencies

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR