Shareholders' Letter

People in need
Media competence and
protection of minors
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See
www.asut.ch
People in need
A wide range of partnerships attest to Swisscom’s close bonds with Switzerland.
> Swiss Solidarity (Glückskette): Swisscom has been a partner of Swiss Solidarity since 1946, and
under this partnership supports the work of the charity’s 30 partner relief agencies.
> The Samaritans (Die Dargebotene Hand): Swisscom is the official communications partner of
the “Samaritans telephone number 143”, the first point of contact at any hour of the day or
night for people in difficult situations.
> Partnership with Pro Senectute and the terzStiftung: Swisscom has been working with Pro
Senectute for a year with the aim of helping senior citizens enjoy the practical benefits of the
digital world. The terzStiftung is committed to independence and security in old age. Swisscom
has been a partner of the terzStiftung since 2007.
> Compisternli – a project to unite the generations: Compisternli trains children so that they can
teach older people about mobile communications. Swisscom supports Compisternli by providing
infrastructure and communications services.
Promoting media competence and the protection of minors in the media
Swisscom is committed to informing children and young people as well as older people about the
risks inherent in the new media, and helps them to use such media responsibly and discerningly.
Protection of minors in the media
Both the Internet and mobile communications harbour a number of dangers for our children.
Swisscom is determined not to leave parents and teachers to shoulder this responsibility alone.
In the year under review, Swisscom complied fully with the legal obligations governing the protection
of minors in the media. Under the terms of the Swiss Federal Penal Code, it is forbidden
for providers to offer content of a pornographic nature to persons under the age of 16. The Ordinance
on Telecommunications Services outlines measures relating to the blocking of value-added
services. Swisscom observes these regulations extremely rigorously.
Since 2008, the Industry Initiative of the Swiss Association of Telecommunications (asut) for
Improved Youth Media Protection and the Promotion of Media Skills in Society has published a list
of measures, in addition to the legal requirements, which Swisscom has pledged to comply with.
This includes the provision of Internet filters, the obligation to actively inform customers, willingness
to engage in dialogue with committed organisations, and the designation of a youth media
protection officer. In 2011 an independent agency will review the industry initiative and its imple-
mentation.
For years Swisscom’s commitment has been going beyond the legal requirements:
> Age limit for access to certain services voluntarily increased to 18
> No adult content included in the Video on Demand offering from Swisscom TV
> Additional channel blocking via PIN on Swisscom TV
> FSK age rating recommendation for all video-on-demand films
> Exceptionally stringent requirements for third-party providers of value-added services
Promoting media competence
In 2010 Swisscom took the following steps to draw the attention of parents and teachers to the
potential dangers and risks associated with new media.
> 200,000 copies of the “enter” brochure (formerly “SchoolNetGuide”) on youth media protection
have been printed in German, French and Italian for distribution free of charge.
> A youth protection course was designed as part of the Help Point training scheme: The content
was further optimised in 2010, and some 2,500 courses were held on parents’ evenings or during
further training sessions for teachers.
> The JAMES study conducted by Swisscom and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences fills a
research gap in Switzerland. The study shows that the Internet and mobile phones are increasingly
being used by young people not only as an information and communication tool but also
as a learning aid. It also examines issues related to inappropriate media usage, revealing at
times startling differences between the different linguistic regions. The findings will influence
the strategies of the various actors and in so doing play a key role in promoting media skills.