Changing times see Swiss more accepting of secret service data collection.

Text of report in English by Swiss Radio International's Swissinfo website on 4 July

Revelations by a parliamentary watchdog that the secret service collected data on about 200,000 people might seem like a repeat of a political scandal 20 years ago.

However, the public outcry so far, at least has been rather subdued, despite strong criticism in the media as well as by some politicians and judges.

The federal data and information commissioner, Hanspeter Thuer, does not mince his words.

"It is a serious matter and it proves that controls have to be improved," he told the media, following last Wednesday's [30 June] report by the delegation of the …