Data protection for private individuals in Switzerland

Art. 2 FADP

Personal and material scope of application

Chapter 1: Purpose, Scope of Application and Federal Supervisory Authority

Statutory textStatus: 7 July 2025

1 This Act applies to the processing of personal data of natural persons by:

  • a.

    private persons;

  • b.

    federal bodies.

2 It does not apply to:

  • a.

    personal data being processed by a natural person exclusively for personal use;

  • b.

    personal data being processed by the Federal Assembly and parliamentary committees as part of their deliberations;

  • c.

    personal data being processed by institutional beneficiaries under Article 2 paragraph 1 of the Host State Act of 22 June 2007 who enjoy immunity from jurisdiction in Switzerland.

3 The applicable procedural law regulates the processing of personal data and the data subject's rights in court proceedings and in proceedings governed by federal procedural regulations. This Act applies to first instance administrative proceedings.

4 The public registers for private legal transactions, and in particular the access to these registers and the data subject's rights, shall be regulated by the specific provisions of the applicable federal law. If the specific provisions do not contain any rules, this Act applies.

Source: Version on FedlexThis translation is not an official version. Only the German, French and Italian versions are legally binding.

In brief

The FADP applies to companies, associations and private individuals as well as to federal authorities. It does not cover what you do purely privately, such as your personal address book. Cantonal and communal authorities are subject to the cantonal data protection acts.

What does this mean for me?

If a company, an association or a federal office processes data about you, you can rely on the FADP. For your commune or canton, cantonal law applies – the rights there are similar.

Example

Your health insurer, your online shop and your fitness club are subject to the FADP; your tax office is subject to the cantonal data protection act.

Explanation by mydatenschutz.ch in plain language – not legal advice. The statutory text is authoritative.