Service ÜPF: Increase in emergency searches
In 2015, the Postal and Telecommunications Traffic Surveillance Service, or ÜPF service for short, carried out around 20% more emergency searches. In contrast, the number of surveillance measures stagnated. Requests for information decreased by around 5% and 8% respectively, according to the Federal Department of Justice and Police.
In emergency searches, remote monitoring helps to find and rescue missing persons, such as hikers who have been involved in accidents or missing children. The number of such measures increased by around 20% to 557 in 2015 (compared with 462 in the previous year).
The number of surveillance measures (excluding emergency searches) stagnated at 9,650 (compared with 9,679 in the previous year). These are ordered by the Swiss public prosecutor's offices to investigate serious crimes, such as violent or sexual offenses or crimes against life and limb, and are approved by the competent compulsory measures court.
Real-time monitoring measures (eavesdropping on telephone calls or reading e-mails) increased by around 1% compared with the previous year, while retroactive monitoring measures (proof of connection) decreased by around 1%. In 2015, 3,381 real-time monitoring measures were ordered (compared to 3,344 in the previous year) and 6,269 retroactive monitoring measures (compared to 6,335 in the previous year). It should be noted that one person is often subject to several surveillance measures, for example if he or she uses several telephones.
Decrease of detailed information and phone book query
Overall, the law enforcement authorities obtained less information from the ÜPF service in 2015. Technical-administrative information (detailed information on telecommunications lines, subscriber identifications) declined by around 5% to 4,106. Similarly, simple information (telephone directory queries, IP address queries) was requested less frequently. They fell by just under 8% to 181,835.
Offenses against the narcotics law and property offenses
Around half of these surveillance measures were ordered by the law enforcement authorities to clear up serious violations of the Narcotics Act. Just under one-third concerned serious property offenses. The remainder is divided among various types of offenses, including serious violent and sexual offenses or offenses against life and limb.
Stagnating fees and less compensation
For the measures, the prosecution authorities paid a total of around CHF 13.5 million in fees, around 1% less than in the previous year. The postal and telecommunications service providers were paid compensation of around CHF 9.3 million. This is around 8% less than in 2014. It should be noted here that the statistics list those monitoring activities which were ordered in 2015. However, the fees are not paid until the monitoring measure is completed, i.e. in some cases not until 2016.
The information published on the website of the service ÜPF Statistics lists in detail all surveillance measures ordered and information provided by the law enforcement authorities in 2015.
Press release Federal Department of Justice and Police
