FADP: achieve compliance with the Federal Act on Data Protection
What is FADP?
The FADP is the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection, implemented September 1, 2023, with enforcement beginning immediately. The Swiss privacy law overhauls the Swiss Data Protection Act from 1992, and thus is sometimes known as the new or revised FADP. The Act provides Swiss citizens with new rights regarding personal data protection, and creates new responsibilities for organizations regarding data privacy and security.
Switzerland’s data protection law is compatible with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other European laws, and was designed to ensure data flow with the EU and maintain economic opportunities for Swiss companies.
Common FADP questions and answersVALUING PRIVACY
Consent management pays off
The FADP is extraterritorial, so applies to organizations inside or outside of Switzerland if they process the data of Swiss citizens.
The Act is meant to ensure secure, ongoing data flow for personal data in both physical or electronic formats with the EU and EEA. The Swiss law also requires adequacy agreements with other countries or data subjects’ consent for international data transfers to occur.
The FADP protects Swiss citizens’ rights to data privacy guards against infringement of that right from excessive or unauthorized access to their personal data.
ACHIEVING COMPLIANCE
Consent management and FADP compliance
Processing of personal data is allowed without a specific legal basis in many cases. Data subjects’ consent is required for processing:
- of sensitive personal data
- used for high-risk profiling by a government body or private person
- for data transfers to third countries where without an adequacy agreement
PRIVACY INNOVATION
The new FADP
The FADP is not the GDPR in Switzerland. Some key regulatory differences:
- Fines up to CHF 250,000 against responsible individuals, or up to CHF 50,000 against a company
- Appointing a Data Protection Officer is recommended, but not mandatory
- Less notification/information required in privacy notices or policies
- Adequacy for data transfers is determined by the Swiss Federal Council, EU standard contractual clauses or other binding corporate rules can also be applied
How to install Usercentrics CMP
The Usercentrics Consent Management Platform (CMP) stores and manages given consent and privacy preferences for each of your users to prove compliance with a legal basis.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Contact our expert team
We’re happy to answer questions and get you acquainted with Usercentrics and our Consent Management Platform.
- Doing business in Switzerland and unsure whether your website is compliant with current privacy law?
- Not sure what you need to do to achieve compliance? Get in touch and learn how the Usercentrics Consent Management Platform can help you achieve FADP compliance.
- Looking to partner with us?