How Swiss media companies are reconciling innovation with data protection

According to the companies surveyed, implementing data protection regulations is complex. At the same time, investing in this area brings certain advantages that go beyond simply complying with the law. For example, consent management platforms are used to manage and document the consent of users with regard to the processing of their personal data based on the applicable legislation. However, if the legal framework changes, consent management platforms also make it possible to flexibly adapt to updated data protection laws.

Another example can be seen in data directories. As a result of the applicable data protection regulations, companies operating in the Swiss media industry systematically document the type of data they collect as well as where the data are stored and how they are used. This systematic approach to data management also makes it possible to improve the scalability of data-driven processes and to implement more accurately targeted protective measures.

Many media companies in Switzerland have hired dedicated data protection specialists in recent years and months. These data protection officers deal with legal issues, but primarily see their role as supporting the business teams. In the sense of “helping people to help themselves”, as one data protection expert interviewed put it, these specialists highlight the importance of data protection among the company’s own employees so that the issue is incorporated as directly as possible into product development and into strategic and operational decisions (‘privacy by design’).

The same teams also collaborate with training managers to educate staff in the use of AI tools, especially in unprotected environments such as ChatGPT. For example, this training may focus on how trustworthy the output of such language models is and what information may be included in prompts. In the journalistic context in particular, companies have developed their own guidelines for dealing with generative AI. Creating protected environments for the use of generative AI is also becoming a point of focus for many Swiss media companies.

One measure that is being examined or has already been implemented by a lot of companies is the use of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs). These are technological solutions that incorporate privacy-friendly mechanisms into the process of data collection and processing, such as encryption or anonymisation of data. This makes it possible for advertisers to address increasingly specific target groups without compromising users’ privacy. The development and use of PETs is also gaining momentum worldwide, as can be seen by the example of Google’s Privacy Sandbox initiative. Since access to high-quality user data is a basic requirement for digital innovations in the media industry in the face of increasing data protection requirements, PETs can be expected to become an increasingly relevant field of innovation. 

Our industry barometer shows that the leading Swiss media companies are not only working hard in order to comply with the relevant data protection regulations, but also see advantages in taking a pioneering role in data protection. The media industry remains a dynamic environment in which new trends are rapidly seized upon and turned into successful products and services.

We would like to thank our partners in the Swiss media industry for talking to us, and we are pleased to provide a reliable fact base on the development of the Swiss media landscape with the annual Swiss Entertainment and Media Outlook.