Strafgesetzbuch Arts. 126a to 126c, Data Damage, System Interference and Misuse of Devices
StGB, LGBl. 1988 Nr. 37, §§ 126a-126c, inserted by LGBl. 2009 Nr. 228
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force.
A computer misuse rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 6 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not change, delete, or otherwise make unusable or suppress data processed, transmitted, or supplied by automation that is not at your sole disposal, in a way that causes damage to another person.
- Do not seriously interfere with the functioning of a computer system that you may not use, or may not use alone, by entering or transmitting data.
- Do not develop, distribute, procure, or possess a computer program, password, or access code evidently created or adapted to commit unauthorized access, data damage, or system interference, with the intent to use it for that purpose.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Section 126a (damage to data): up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to 360 daily rates for the base offense; up to two years where the damage exceeds CHF 7,500; up to three years for compromising a great number of systems with a purpose-built tool; six months to five years where damage exceeds CHF 300,000, the act compromises critical infrastructure, or it is committed by a criminal group. Section 126b (interference with system functioning) carries the identical escalating structure. Section 126c (misuse of computer programs or access data): up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to 360 daily rates, with no punishment where the person voluntarily prevents the tool's use before any danger materializes.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Section 126a punishes a person who damages another by changing, deleting, or otherwise making unusable or suppressing data not at that person's sole disposal, with up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to 360 daily rates, rising to up to two years where the damage exceeds CHF 7,500, up to three years for compromising a large number of systems with a purpose-built tool, and six months to five years for damage exceeding CHF 300,000 or an act against critical infrastructure or by a criminal group.
Section 126b punishes serious interference with a computer system's functioning on the same escalating structure. Section 126c punishes developing, distributing, or possessing a computer program or password evidently created to commit any of these offenses, or the offense at § 118a, with up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to 360 daily rates, with a defense for a person who voluntarily prevents the tool's use.
An aggressive scraping or crawling operation that changes, deletes, or degrades data or a system it does not control, or that uses a purpose-built tool to compromise a large number of systems, is reached by this chapter.
When LexLint raises it
crawls_web
Read the law
Strafgesetzbuch (StGB), official English translation, Office for Foreign Affairs website