Zurich Considers Ban on Digital Ad Screens
The Zurich City Council has voted to restrict digital advertising in public spaces, with the goal of creating areas free from digital ads. The move is part of a broader consideration to implement a complete ban on such screens throughout the city.
- The vote to restrict digital advertising and reduce commercial ads in public spaces passed by a narrow margin of 58 to 57 on March 19, 2025. - The proposal was put forward by the Alternative List (AL) party with support from the Social Democrats (SP) and the Greens. Proponents argued the move counters overconsumption, environmental destruction, and the "invasive commercialization" of public space. - The city council now has two years, until March 2027, to develop and implement the new advertising ordinance. This follows a previous, less stringent measure that halted the expansion of new digital ad systems until 2030. - Opponents of the ban warn it could lead to job losses in the local advertising industry and shift advertising budgets to large international internet companies rather than benefiting Swiss media. - The city of Zurich currently earns approximately 28 million Swiss francs annually from outdoor advertising concessions on public land. - The move in Zurich is part of a broader trend in Switzerland and Europe, with cities like Bern also considering bans and Geneva having a similar measure blocked by a referendum. - Globally, other cities have enacted similar restrictions on outdoor advertising, including São Paulo, which implemented its "Clean City Law" in 2007, and Grenoble, which became the first European city to ban commercial street advertising in 2014.
