> Jolanda Spiess – Media law, personality rights protection, strategic litigation. Landmark ruling 2025: Profit disgorgement against Ringier. Author. Founder #NetzCourage.

*Canonical URL: https://www.jolandaspiess.ch/en/*

## Context

![Jolanda Spiess](../img/jolanda-spiess.jpg)

Swiss media corporations will no longer be able to avoid returning profits generated from campaigns that violate personality rights.

The ruling Jolanda Spiess secured against Ringier is not yet legally binding. However, endless tabloid smear campaigns, as experienced first-hand, are a thing of the past now that it is clear profits can be reclaimed retroactively.

How painful this decision is for the media industry, which has never distanced itself from its lucrative tabloid operations, is demonstrated by the ongoing attempts to discredit and defame Jolanda Spiess through cross-corporation measures. A journalist who conducted a "research project" on the Zug Landammann reception "on behalf of" Tamedia has since been convicted of defamation – knowingly lying and deliberately making false claims; the Federal Supreme Court upheld the conviction on 2 June 2026 (ruling 6B_747/2025), making it final.

Proceedings against the Tamedia author and against various internet fringe figures who have united in media-fuelled hatred against Jolanda Spiess are still ongoing. Peace will likely only come once the profit disgorgement proceedings, which continue to drag on due to delaying tactics particularly by the media corporations, are concluded or a genuine settlement is reached.

Engagement, recognition, and new paths

For her commitment against hate speech and the founding of the organization **#NetzCourage**, Jolanda Spiess was awarded the Ida Somazzi Prize and the FemBizSwiss Award in 2021. Today she advises victims of media power abuse through **Winkelried & Töchter GmbH** and develops smart tools for legal documentation, research, and analysis – including for law firms. When she is not conducting proceedings, she cheers with her family for VfL Bochum – a club that never gives up.

Anyone engaged in a public and legal confrontation with the largest Swiss media houses cannot expect fair coverage of themselves or the ongoing proceedings. Those seeking an overview of the details of the individual proceedings, rulings, and documents can find them in the updated [case dossiers](#cases) below.

![MEISTGEKLICKT – Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin, Limmat Verlag 2024](../img/meistgeklickt.jpg)

## MEISTGEKLICKT

Protocol of a system failure. It began with a headline. Millions of clicks and advertising revenue for media corporations followed.

The book documents how tabloid and quality media work hand in hand and describes the legal strategy of profit disgorgement.

[Get the book →](https://www.buchhaus.ch/de/buecher/fachbuecher/geschichte/schweiz/detail/ISBN-9783039260836/Spiess-Hegglin-Jolanda/meistgeklickt)

## Cases

Systemic legal proceedings[Ringier AG / BlickOver 167 articles of a media campaign against a single person.
Severe personality rights violation established by the court, Blick apology
on the front page. For the first time in Switzerland, a media corporation is
ordered to return profits from personality-violating reporting.
On 19 June 2026, the High Court of Zug confirmed the profit disgorgement on appeal; not yet legally binding. Campaign lawsuit for the remaining articles in preparation.](/en/cases/ringier-blick)
[ECtHR ProceedingsCantonal Court Zug grants the request for provisional measures and confirms
the publication ban. High Court overturns it. Federal Supreme Court declines
to hear the appeal. Complaint to the European Court of Human Rights – Switzerland
has submitted its position. At the center: May a person's intimate privacy
be declared public property simply because media have disseminated it for years?](/en/cases/egmr)
[Tamedia / BinswangerFinal conviction for defamation, upheld by the Federal Supreme Court on 2 June 2026 (ruling 6B_747/2025). Second criminal proceeding in Solothurn with a first-instance acquittal, pending at the High Court. Ongoing civil lawsuit for
nearly 200 personality-violating book passages and profit disgorgement.
The complex extends across four legal levels up to the Federal Supreme Court and the ECtHR.](/en/cases/tamedia-binswanger)
[Cyberstalking and media hate connectionsOver a dozen proceedings against systematic cyberstalking,
pornography and the illegal publication of intimate data.
Criminal threat. House searches, arrests, contact bans, convictions.](/en/cases/cyberstalking)
[Weltwoche / Deputy EditorConviction in two instances for defamation.
Documentation of how confidential investigation files were
politically instrumentalized and published in coordination with
an accused person.](/en/cases/weltwoche)

## Timeline

[2026Federal Supreme Court Upholds Defamation Conviction – FinalThe Federal Supreme Court dismisses the Tamedia journalist's appeal (ruling 6B_747/2025 of 2 June 2026, five-judge panel). The defamation conviction is final: a false statement of fact, spread against better knowledge and with direct intent.](/en/cases/tamedia-binswanger)
[2026Profit Disgorgement Ringier – High Court of Zug Confirms on AppealThe High Court of Zug confirms the profit disgorgement claim against Ringier AG (Art. 28a para. 3 ZGB): calculation method and principle confirmed, two calculation figures adjusted downward – on average around CHF 35,000 per article, plus five percent default interest since 2014/2015. Not yet legally binding (an appeal to the Federal Supreme Court is possible). Includes a personal statement on the ruling.](/en/cases/ringier-blick)
[2026Shameleaks Criminal Judgment – Zurich High CourtThe Zurich High Court upholds the pornography convictions against both perpetrators and reclassifies the coercion charge as criminal threat (Art. 180 SCC). Not yet legally binding.](/en/cases/cyberstalking)
[2026Cyberstalker's Civil Lawsuit Dismissed in FullZug Cantonal Court dismisses the convicted stalker's civil lawsuit in full. Attempted perpetrator-victim reversal fails. Court confirms the right of stalking victims to publicly report documented violence. All costs imposed on the plaintiff.](/en/cases/cyberstalking#perpetrator-victim-reversal)
[2025Profit Disgorgement Blick – Landmark RulingRingier AG ordered to return profits from personality rights violations. For the first time in Swiss legal history.](/en/cases/ringier-blick)
[2025Tamedia Journalist – Defamation Confirmed in Two InstancesBasel-Stadt Court of Appeal confirms the defamation conviction. The journalist appeals to the Federal Supreme Court.](/en/cases/tamedia-binswanger)
[2025SRF Documentary: Hate OnlineDocumentary by Eveline Falk on digital violence and the legal fight against it.](https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/-/video/-?urn=urn:srf:video:daaae96b-2e73-45db-ac0e-c7a8d2bddc07)
[2024MEISTGEKLICKT – Book PublicationProtocol of a system failure. Limmat Verlag. Documentation of the mechanisms behind media personality rights violations.](https://www.buchhaus.ch/de/buecher/fachbuecher/geschichte/schweiz/detail/ISBN-9783039260836/Spiess-Hegglin-Jolanda/meistgeklickt)
[2025Shameleaks Civil Trial WonHinwil District Court rules in the civil trial on the illegal publication of intimate data in favor of Spiess-Hegglin.](/en/cases/cyberstalking)
[2025Penal Order Solothurn – DefamationPenal order by the Solothurn Public Prosecution for defamation in an Aktivradio interview. Upon objection, a first-instance acquittal, pending at the High Court.](/en/cases/tamedia-binswanger)
[2024Cyberstalker ConvictionsPfäffikon District Court convicts both main perpetrators at first instance of pornography, one of them additionally of coercion; the defamation-related offences are time-barred.](/en/cases/cyberstalking)
[2024Swiss Government's Observations to the ECtHRSwitzerland submits 21 pages of observations on the complaint. The Federal Council defends the Federal Supreme Court's non-entry and requests dismissal – but concedes that Art. 6 ECHR (access to court) is applicable to the proceedings.](/en/cases/egmr)
[2024ECtHR Communicates Complaint to SwitzerlandThe ECtHR officially communicates the complaint to the Swiss government and submits a questionnaire: including whether access to the Federal Supreme Court was arbitrarily denied and whether the right to private life (Art. 8 ECHR) was violated.](/en/cases/egmr)
[2022Complaint Filed with ECtHRComplaint filed with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on the protection of intimate privacy – in particular, whether Switzerland arbitrarily denied access to justice.](/en/cases/egmr)2022Federal Supreme Court – Non-Entry (Urteil 5A_824/2021)Federal Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal on the grounds that the appellant had «not said a word» about the irreparable harm – even though this had been addressed on six pages. A [legal article](https://www.sjz.ch/de/artikel/2504-0650-2022-0133/bundesgericht-urteil-5a8242021-vom-25-januar-2022) by Schulthess/Aeschimann/Cottinelli (AJP 09/2022) assesses the non-entry as «overly formalistic» – the harm was «patently obvious», the adjudication of the substantive questions unjustifiably refused.[2021High Court Zug Lifts Preliminary InjunctionHigh Court Zug lifts the preliminary injunction against the personality-violating publication. Appeal filed with the Federal Supreme Court.](/en/cases/egmr)
[2020Blick Apology and High Court RulingHigh Court confirms «severe» intimate privacy violation. Ringier accepts. Blick apologizes on the front page.](/en/cases/ringier-blick)
[2020Cantonal Court Zug – Confirmation DecisionZug Cantonal Court confirms the preliminary injunction in the ordinary proceedings (ES 2020 222, 3 September 2020). The publication ban protecting personality rights is maintained.](/en/cases/egmr)
[2020Cantonal Court Zug – Preliminary InjunctionSingle judge at Zug Cantonal Court grants the request for provisional measures against the personality-violating book publication and issues orders to protect personality rights (4 May 2020).](/en/cases/egmr)
[2017Weltwoche Deputy Editor ConvictedConviction for defamation in two instances. Instrumentalization of confidential files documented.](/en/cases/weltwoche)2016Founding of #NetzCourageJolanda Spiess founds the association #NetzCourage, which supports victims of digital violence and advocates for education and prevention.

## Reception & Factual Basis

### Press Voices

> A devastating analysis of Swiss tabloid media

[SRF4 News / SRF Kultur](https://www.srf.ch/kultur/gesellschaft-religion/buch-meistgeklickt-rufmord-per-klick-jolanda-spiess-hegglins-kampf-um-gerechtigkeit)
> The woman who brought tabloids to account

[Der Standard, 2025](https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000251375/die-frau-die-den-boulevard-zu-mehr-anstand-brachte)
> Who invented it?

[taz.de, 2025](https://taz.de/Wer-hats-erfunden/!1090573/)
> Media-political bombshell

[WOZ, 2025](https://www.woz.ch/taeglich/2025/01/27/spiess-hegglin-vs-ringier-medienpolitischer-paukenschlag)

### Factual Basis: Events of 2014

All criminal investigations against Jolanda Spiess in connection with the events of 2014 were discontinued. The then freshly elected Zug cantonal councillor could assume she was a victim of a sexual offense. Even if there is no perpetrator from a legal perspective. Spiess-Hegglin has assumed from the beginning – since her police interview at Christmas 2014 – that both parties involved were victims. More on this can be found in her book [*MEISTGEKLICKT*](https://www.buchhaus.ch/de/buecher/fachbuecher/geschichte/schweiz/detail/ISBN-9783039260836/Spiess-Hegglin-Jolanda/meistgeklickt) (Limmat Verlag, 2024).

### Media Coverage (Selection)

- [SRF Documentary: Hate Online, 2025](https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/-/video/-?urn=urn:srf:video:daaae96b-2e73-45db-ac0e-c7a8d2bddc07)
- [Republik: Obsessive, July 2025](https://www.republik.ch/2025/07/16/am-gericht-obsessiv)
- [SRF: Victory for Spiess-Hegglin, 2025](https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/urteil-kantonsgericht-zug-sieg-fuer-spiess-hegglin-ringier-muss-hohen-gewinn-herausgeben)
- [Der Standard: Tabloids to Account, 2025](https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000251375/die-frau-die-den-boulevard-zu-mehr-anstand-brachte)
- [taz: Who Invented It?, 2025](https://taz.de/Wer-hats-erfunden/!1090573/)
- [Übermedien Podcast: Holger Ruft An, 2025](https://uebermedien.de/102210/wie-setzt-man-sich-gegen-eine-jahrelange-schmutzkampagne-von-medien-zur-wehr/)
- [Annabelle: I Was Clickbait, 2024](https://www.annabelle.ch/leben/jolanda-spiess-hegglin-ueber-ihr-neues-buch-ich-war-clickbait/)
- [ARD Tagesschau: Ruling Against Tabloid, 2025](https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/schweiz-urteil-boulevard-journalismus-medien-100.html)
- [FAZ: Compensation After Tabloid Campaign, 2025](https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/schweiz-entschaedigung-fuer-gruenenpolitikerin-nach-boulevardkampagne-110257656.html)
- [Süddeutsche Zeitung: Precedent, 2025](https://www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/ringier-urteil-jolanda-spiess-hegglin-praezedenzfall-li.3189051)
- [Die Zeit: Profit Disgorgement, 2025](https://www.zeit.de/kultur/2025-01/jolanda-spiess-hegglin-blick-ringier-gewinnherausgabe-schweiz-gerichtsprozess)
- [Deutschlandfunk: Media Character Assassination, 2025](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/medialer-rufmord-der-fall-der-schweizer-politikerin-jolanda-spiess-hegglin-dlf-14e9f975-100.html)
- [SRF Tagesschau: MEISTGEKLICKT, 2024](https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/-/video/-?urn=urn:srf:video:48fe4ff4-8f89-4e56-802e-6ed9d6aa9fda)
- [P.S. Zeitung: A Media Lesson, 2024](https://www.pszeitung.ch/buch/ein-medienlehrstueck/)
- [diffamierung.net: A Question of Resilience, 2025](https://diffamierung.net/eine-frage-der-resilienz-zum-buch-meistgeklickt-von-jolanda-spiess-hegglin/)
- [Republik: The Destruction Machine, 2021](https://www.republik.ch/2021/08/06/die-zerstoerungs-maschine)

## Facts

Who is Jolanda Spiess?

Jolanda Spiess – also known as Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin – is a Swiss strategist in media law, media ethics, and personality rights protection. She leads systemically relevant legal proceedings against Swiss media corporations such as Ringier and Tamedia, founded the organization #NetzCourage against digital violence in 2016, and works in strategic communication and organizational development through Winkelried & Töchter GmbH. Her book «MEISTGEKLICKT» was published in 2024 by Limmat Verlag.

What is the landmark ruling on profit disgorgement against Ringier?

For the first time in Swiss legal history, a media corporation – Ringier AG – was ordered to surrender profits from repeated personality-violating reporting. The Cantonal Court of Zug issued this ruling in 2025 under Art. 28a para. 3 SCC. The basis was over 167 articles from a media campaign for which a severe personality violation had already been judicially established. A central role was played by the expert report by Knecht/Baumann/Voigt: The journalist and media pioneer Hansi Voigt – founder of watson.ch, architect of We.Publish, and three-time Editor of the Year – together with other experts developed the analytical foundation that systematically documented for the first time how a publisher generated profits through personality-violating reporting. On 19 June 2026, the High Court of Zug confirmed the profit disgorgement on appeal and adjusted two calculation figures downward; the ruling is not yet legally binding (an appeal to the Federal Supreme Court is possible).

What does profit disgorgement mean in Swiss media law?

Profit disgorgement (Gewinnherausgabe) under Art. 28a para. 3 ZGB allows victims of personality rights violations to claim the profits the perpetrator made from the violation. In the Spiess vs. Ringier case, this was applied to media coverage for the first time. The legal principle had existed since 1983 but was never enforced – a dead letter that became living law through this landmark case.

What is the ECHR case of Jolanda Spiess?

The proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) concern the civil case against the Tamedia book and the question of whether Switzerland arbitrarily denied Jolanda Spiess access to justice (Art. 6 ECHR) and whether the right to private life and intimate privacy (Art. 8 ECHR) was violated. Switzerland has submitted 21 pages of observations. The case is pending.

What does Jolanda Spiess do today?

Jolanda Spiess works through Winkelried & Töchter GmbH in strategic communication and organizational development. She continues her legal proceedings against Ringier (profit disgorgement), Tamedia/Binswanger (defamation, civil lawsuit), and at the ECHR. She develops smart tools for legal documentation, research, and analysis – including for law firms.

What is the book MEISTGEKLICKT about?

MEISTGEKLICKT (Most Clicked), published in 2024 by Limmat Verlag (ISBN 978-3-03926-083-6), documents how Swiss tabloid media – especially Ringier/Blick – conducted a years-long campaign against Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin. The book covers the legal proceedings, the media mechanisms, and the personal consequences. It is the first comprehensive account from the perspective of a person affected by systematic media personality rights violations in Switzerland.

What does Michele Binswanger have to do with the Spiess-Hegglin case?

Michele Binswanger is a Tamedia/Tages-Anzeiger author who conducted a so-called research project on the Zug incident «on behalf of» Tamedia. She was convicted of defamation in Basel-Stadt; the Federal Supreme Court upheld the conviction on 2 June 2026 (ruling 6B_747/2025), making it final. In Solothurn, an initial acquittal was followed by appeals from both the prosecution and Spiess – the case is now pending at the Higher Court. A civil lawsuit regarding nearly 200 personality-violating book passages and profit disgorgement is pending in Basel.

Is there a connection between the cyberstalkers and Michele Binswanger?

Court documents and communication records show that convicted cyberstalkers and Michele Binswanger operated in a shared ecosystem. Stalkers supplied Binswanger with material, Binswanger's publications fueled the stalkers' campaigns. This interplay between media coverage and digital violence is documented in detail in the book MEISTGEKLICKT and in the legal proceedings.

What is the media omertà in Switzerland?

Media omertà refers to the phenomenon whereby Swiss media corporations barely report critically on each other – especially not on proceedings that affect them directly. In the Spiess-Hegglin case, this pattern is striking: the landmark profit disgorgement ruling against Ringier was downplayed, distorted, or suppressed by large parts of the Swiss media. International outlets like ARD Tagesschau, FAZ, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Zeit, Der Standard, and taz reported extensively – the affected Swiss outlets barely or tendentiously. Even the connections between Tamedia and the author Michele Binswanger, whose defamation conviction became final when the Federal Supreme Court dismissed her appeal on 2 June 2026 (ruling 6B_747/2025), are barely covered – not even by so-called media journalists. The question remains how a Tamedia author can still be allowed to write about her target person after such a conviction. This structural silence protects the industry from accountability.

What happened in 2014 at the Zug Landammann reception?

The morning after the Zug Landammann reception in December 2014, the newly elected cantonal councillor Jolanda Spiess woke up with an unexplained blackout and abdominal pain. At the hospital, DNA from two men was found in her intimate area. Date-rape drugs could neither be proven nor excluded – the blood sample was taken approximately twenty hours after the event, by which time substances like GHB would have long been metabolized. All criminal investigations against Spiess were dropped. She never accused anyone and assumes both parties involved were victims. The case was never solved. What followed was not investigation but an unprecedented media campaign: over 167 articles by Ringier/Blick alone, leading to a court-confirmed severe personality rights violation and the landmark profit disgorgement ruling. This case is a classic example of how a media campaign can disturb or even prevent proper judicial investigation – a problem that extends far beyond this individual case.


## Contact

For media inquiries, legal collaboration, or speaking engagements.

[Get in touch →](mailto:hallo@jolandaspiess.ch)