The Swiss Federal Council has decided in today’s session of 31 August, 2023 that the entirely revised Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and its implementation rules in the new Ordinance to the Federal Act on Data Protection (DPO) will be come into force on 1 September, 2023. After several delays the Federal Office of Justice had announced this date. With this, the revision of the Swiss Data Privacy Law is completed and giving companies as well as other private controllers one year to prepare its implementation.

The revised FADP and its regulations in the Ordinances shall provide for a better protection of personal data in the future. Especially self-determination over personal data shall be strengthened with means of control as well as transparency shall be increased with new duties and instruments. Fairly new is the intensification of the penal provisions with fines up to an amount of CHF 250’000.00.

Companies and other private controllers will have to review and augment their data privacy statements and adjust their data privacy management to the new law.