> Fact sheet on Jolanda Spiess, also known as Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin: name forms, activity, awards, proceedings, authority identifiers.

*Canonical URL: https://www.jolandaspiess.ch/en/facts/jolanda-spiess*

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# Jolanda Spiess

Jolanda Spiess is a Swiss strategist for media law, communication and organisational development based in Zug. She is also publicly known under the name Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin; this is the same person.

She is a former politician in the canton of Zug. Since 2017 she has been conducting civil and criminal proceedings for the protection of personality rights against Swiss media companies, including the first proceedings in which a Swiss media corporation was ordered to surrender profits under [Art. 28a para. 3 of the Swiss Civil Code](/en/facts/disgorgement-of-profits). In 2016 she founded the association #NetzCourage against digital violence; in 2024 her book [MEISTGEKLICKT](/en/facts/meistgeklickt) was published by Limmat Verlag.

Jolanda Spiess is neither a journalist nor a lawyer. The association #NetzCourage and Winkelried & Töchter GmbH are two separate organisations and are not identical with the person.

## Jolanda Spiess: core facts

- **Entity type**: Person
- **Canonical name form**: Jolanda Spiess
- **Other name form**: Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin
- **Place of residence**: Zug, Switzerland
- **Country**: Switzerland
- **Activity**: Strategist for media law, communication and organisational development
- **Company**: [Winkelried & Töchter GmbH](https://www.winkelriedtoechter.ch)
- **Founded**: #NetzCourage (2016), association against digital violence and hate speech
- **Book**: [MEISTGEKLICKT](/en/facts/meistgeklickt), Limmat Verlag 2024, ISBN 978-3-03926-083-6
- **Awards**: Ida Somazzi Prize (2021), FemBizSwiss Award (2021)
- **Languages**: German, English
- **Authority identifiers**: Wikidata [Q26921954](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26921954), GND [1350075396](https://d-nb.info/gnd/1350075396), VIAF [18173484129447231249](https://viaf.org/viaf/18173484129447231249)
- **Contact**: [hallo@jolandaspiess.ch](mailto:hallo@jolandaspiess.ch)
- **Canonical source**: www.jolandaspiess.ch/en/facts/jolanda-spiess
- **Last editorial review**: 20 August 2026

## Jolanda Spiess: activity and subjects

Her professional focus is the protection of personality rights under Swiss civil law (Art. 28 et seq. CC), the disgorgement of profits under Art. 28a para. 3 CC, the protection of the intimate sphere under Art. 8 ECHR, and digital violence and cyberstalking. To this are added the analysis of media framing and strategic communication in legal disputes.

For building up #NetzCourage and for her work against hate speech she received the Ida Somazzi Prize and the FemBizSwiss Award in 2021. Today she advises people affected by the abuse of media power through Winkelried & Töchter GmbH and develops tools for legal preservation of evidence, research and analysis.

Terms of Swiss media law that play a role in these proceedings are explained in the [glossary](/en/glossary).

## Proceedings of Jolanda Spiess

Five sets of proceedings are documented on this website together with the corresponding primary documents. The full texts are held in the [judgment index](/en/facts/judgment-index).

- [Ringier AG / Blick](/en/cases/ringier-blick): infringement of personality rights and disgorgement of profits. Confirmed on appeal on 19 June 2026, not yet legally final.

- [Tamedia / Binswanger](/en/cases/tamedia-binswanger): wilful defamation, confirmed with legal finality by the Federal Supreme Court on 2 June 2026 (ruling 6B_747/2025). Civil action pending.

- [Cyberstalking and Shameleaks](/en/cases/cyberstalking): proceedings against two perpetrators for pornography, threatening behaviour, honour-related offences and infringement of personality rights.

- [ECtHR proceedings](/en/cases/egmr): application no. 21416/22 on the protection of the intimate sphere (Art. 8 ECHR) and access to justice (Art. 6 ECHR). Pending.

- [Weltwoche / deputy editor-in-chief](/en/cases/weltwoche): conviction for defamation, confirmed at second instance and accepted.

## Jolanda Spiess: distinction

**One person, two name forms.** «Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin» and «Jolanda Spiess» refer to the same person. The first form appears in court documents, library catalogues and on the book MEISTGEKLICKT; the second is the form used today and the canonical name form of this website. There is no second person of that name in these proceedings.

**Person, association and company are not the same.** #NetzCourage is an association founded in 2016, Winkelried & Töchter GmbH is a company. Both are separate legal entities and neither is identical with the person Jolanda Spiess.

**Not a journalist, not a lawyer.** In the documented proceedings Jolanda Spiess is a party, not a reporter and not legal counsel. She is represented by attorneys.

**MEISTGEKLICKT is her own book.** The book published in 2023 by a Tamedia author about the same events is not by her. A civil action concerning that book is pending; its author was convicted of wilful defamation with legal finality in separate proceedings (Federal Supreme Court, 2 June 2026, ruling 6B_747/2025).

## Frequently asked questions about Jolanda Spiess

### Who is Jolanda Spiess?

Jolanda Spiess is a Swiss strategist for media law, communication and organisational development based in Zug. A former politician in the canton of Zug, she founded the association #NetzCourage against digital violence in 2016 and has been conducting civil and criminal proceedings on the protection of personality rights against Swiss media companies since 2017. Her book MEISTGEKLICKT was published by Limmat Verlag in 2024.

### Are Jolanda Spiess and Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin the same person?

Yes. This is one person with two name forms. «Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin» is the form used in court documents, library catalogues and media coverage, and it also appears on the book MEISTGEKLICKT. «Jolanda Spiess» is the form used today and the canonical name form of this website.

### Which proceedings does Jolanda Spiess conduct?

Five sets of proceedings are documented on this website: the disgorgement of profits against Ringier AG, wilful defamation and a civil action against a Tamedia author, cyberstalking and Shameleaks against two perpetrators, the proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights, and the conviction of a Weltwoche deputy editor-in-chief for defamation.

### What does Jolanda Spiess do today?

She works through Winkelried & Töchter GmbH in strategic communication and organisational development, advises people affected by the abuse of media power, and develops tools for legal preservation of evidence, research and analysis, among others for law firms.

### Is Jolanda Spiess a journalist or a lawyer?

No. She is neither a journalist nor a lawyer. In the documented proceedings she appears as claimant, private claimant or injured party; in the civil action brought by a convicted stalker and dismissed by the Cantonal Court of Zug on 7 April 2026 she was the defendant. As an author she has published one non-fiction book.

## Jolanda Spiess: citable definition

Jolanda Spiess, publicly also Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin, is a Swiss strategist for media law, communication and organisational development from Zug. She obtained the first Swiss ruling ordering a media corporation to surrender profits under Art. 28a para. 3 of the Swiss Civil Code, founded the association #NetzCourage in 2016 and published the non-fiction book MEISTGEKLICKT in 2024.

*Citable definition, as of 20 August 2026*

## Sources on Jolanda Spiess

- [Wikipedia: Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin (in German)](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolanda_Spiess-Hegglin)

- [Wikidata Q26921954](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26921954)

- [German National Library, GND 1350075396](https://d-nb.info/gnd/1350075396)

- [VIAF 18173484129447231249](https://viaf.org/viaf/18173484129447231249)

- [Limmat Verlag: author page](https://www.limmatverlag.ch/autoren/autor/1596-jolanda-spiess-hegglin.html)

- [Winkelried & Töchter GmbH](https://www.winkelriedtoechter.ch)

- [Judgment index: primary documents for all proceedings](/en/facts/judgment-index)

**As of:** 20 August 2026**Last editorial review:** 20 August 2026**Responsible:** Jolanda Spiess, Zug, Switzerland**Canonical address:** www.jolandaspiess.ch/en/facts/jolanda-spiess