What Are The Penalties For Violating Swiss Data Protection Laws?

Part 15 of our series on data protection law in Switzerland

In the final part of our series on the revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP), we take a closer look at the consequences of non-compliance—with a focus on the penalties outlined in Art. 60 to 64 FADP.

Under these provisions, individuals—not companies—can be held personally liable and fined up to CHF 250,000 for certain willful violations, including:

• Failing to inform data subjects under article 19 paragraph 1 and article 21 paragraph 1, or provide with the information required under Art. 19 paragraph 2 FADP;
• Providing false information to the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or refusing to cooperate in an investigation;