FADP: Achieve compliance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection

Usercentrics Consent Management Platform (CMP) enables you to meet evolving FADP compliance requirements. Build user trust and fuel sustainable revenue growth.

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What is the FADP?

The Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) is Switzerland’s privacy law that took effect in 2023, replacing the original 1992 Data Protection Act. Often called the new FADP or revised FADP, it modernizes Swiss privacy rules to meet today’s digital standards. The law strengthens individuals’ rights over their personal data and sets new obligations for organizations to handle data responsibly and securely. Designed to stay compatible with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the FADP helps maintain smooth data flows between Switzerland and the European Union, supporting both privacy protection and business growth.

Common FADP questions and answers

VALUING PRIVACY Consent management pays off

The FADP applies to any organization — inside or outside Switzerland — that processes the personal data of Swiss residents. This extraterritorial scope means foreign companies must also comply when handling Swiss user data. The law aims to protect individuals’ privacy rights and prevent unauthorized or excessive access to personal data. It also ensures the secure and continuous flow of personal data between Switzerland, the European Union (EU), and the European Economic Area (EEA). For transfers to other countries, organizations must have an adequacy agreement in place or obtain the data subject’s consent before moving personal data internationally.

ACHIEVING COMPLIANCE Consent and FADP compliance

Under the FADP, organizations can process personal data without a specific legal basis in many situations. Explicit consent from the data subject is required when processing involves:

Sensitive personal data
High-risk profiling by a public authority or private organization
Data transfers to third countries that do not have an adequacy agreement with Switzerland

PRIVACY INNOVATION Key FADP differences

The FADP is not just Switzerland’s version of the GDPR. Key differences include:

Fines up to CHF 250,000 for responsible individuals, or up to CHF 50,000 for companies
Data Protection Officer (DPO) is recommended but not mandatory
Fewer privacy notification and information requirements
Adequacy decisions for cross-border data transfers by the Swiss Federal Council; SCCs or other binding corporate rules can be used

How to install Usercentrics

The Usercentrics Consent Management Platform (CMP) collects, manages, and stores valid user consent and privacy preferences.

Configure your CMP

Choose your legal framework and/or relevant data privacy regulations.
Identify the Data Processing Services used on your website and set the correct legal basis.
Customize the banner appearance and messaging to meet your needs.

Implement your CMP

Add the CMP script tag to your website’s code directly, or by using Google Tag Manager. For mobile apps, use our SDK.
Make adjustments to the scripts/tags being used on your website.
Determine when and at what frequency your banner message will be displayed.

Collect explicit user consent

Start collecting consent from all consumers subject to the DMA.
Start collecting valid consent from all visitors under DMA jurisdiction.
Continuously optimize your consent banner based on extensive data and analytics.

“Short implementation of 7 days for our first site. We can rollout templates with already defined consent technologies, so we stay concentrated on the real issues which bring us further.”

Larissa Wißmann

— Head of Digital Enterprise Services, Haufe Group

Benefits of a consent management platform

Obtain user consent correctly

Achieve and maintain compliance in all regions and industries where you do business, including the EU’s GDPR, California’s CCPA, and frameworks like the IAB TCF v2.2.

Seamless integration

Easily integrate Usercentrics CMP with your website, app, or other platforms. Supports popular CMS and other third-party services to help drive your Privacy-Led Marketing.

Build user trust

Be transparent with users about how you use data and give them control. It’s not just a legal requirement. It’s a competitive differentiator that grows engagement and long-term customer relationships.

Increase opt-in rates

Targeted features like A/B Testing and Contextual Consent enable you to improve user experience quickly. Use data insights to optimize consent rates and capture more high-quality data.

Start your free trial — easily manage FADP-ready consent

See how easy it is to collect, manage, store and signal FADP-compliant consent on your website or app.

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Your questions answered Contact our privacy experts

We’re here to answer your questions about data privacy, FADP requirements, and compliant marketing. The Usercentrics Consent Management Platform helps you build trust, enhance user experience, and reduce regulatory risk. Let’s talk about how we can support your compliance goals.

Want to understand how privacy compliance drives user trust and marketing performance?
Unsure whether your business meets Switzerland’s privacy requirements?
Need guidance on your company’s specific compliance obligations?
Interested in partnering with us?

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