By Jurg Schneider, David Vasella, Hugh Reeves
1. Basic National Legal Regime
1.1 Laws
On a federal level, the Swiss Constitution of 18 April 1999 protects the right to privacy, in particular the right to be protected against misuse of personal data (Article 13). The collection and use of personal data by private bodies are regulated on a federal level and are mainly governed by the Federal Data Protection Act of 19 June 1992 (the ‘FDPA’) and its ordinances, including the Ordinance to the Federal Act on Data Protection (the ‘FDPO’). Data processing by public bodies is governed by the FDPA for federal bodies and by cantonal (for example, the Information and Data Protection Act of the Canton of Zurich) and communal laws for cantonal and communal bodies.
