Data Privacy & Transfer In Investigations: Switzerland

SCOPE OF DATA PROTECTION LAWS RELEVANT TO CROSS-BORDER INVESTIGATIONS

1. What laws and regulations in your jurisdiction regulate the collection and processing of personal data? Are there any aspects of those laws that have specific relevance to cross-border investigations?

In Switzerland, the collection and processing of personal data are primarily regulated by the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and Swiss Federal Data Protection Ordinance (FDPO). The FADP was extensively revised to comply with the level of data protection established by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) (GDPR) and came into effect on 1 September 2023. The FADP applies to the processing of personal data of natural persons by private persons and federal bodies and covers both automated and manual processing of personal data. It covers any information directly or indirectly relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. Fully anonymised personal data does not