Swiss Privacy & Data Protection Levels

Key Principles of Swiss Data Protection

• Lawfulness: Data must be processed in good faith.
• Purpose Limitation: Data collected only for explicit uses.
• Proportionality: Minimum data collected for each case.
• Data Accuracy: Must be accurate & up-to-date.
• Data Security: Strong technical/organizational safeguards.
• Transparency: Individuals informed of all processing.
• Data Subject Rights: Access, correction, deletion, objection.

New Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP)

Effective September 1, 2023, Switzerland revised its FADP to align more closely with GDPR while maintaining its sovereignty. Key updates include:

• Broader definition of personal data
• Mandatory processing inventories (250+ employees)
• Expanded information obligations & privacy policies
• Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) required
• Privacy by Default & Design mandated
• Extended professional secrecy provisions
• Mandatory DPIAs for high-risk processing
• Criminal liability for violations