Jurisdictional Sovereignty
GDPR vs revFADP
GDPR fines organisations; revFADP criminalises individuals. Both protect data, but Switzerland's framework avoids EU regulatory subordination.
Definition
The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Switzerland's revised Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP) share common ancestry but diverge in critical ways. GDPR applies to any entity processing EU residents' data, regardless of location; revFADP applies based on effects in Switzerland. GDPR imposes fines on organisations (up to 4% of global revenue); revFADP imposes criminal penalties on responsible individuals (up to CHF 250,000). GDPR requires a Data Protection Officer; revFADP does not. Switzerland's framework offers comparable protection without subordination to EU regulatory authority.