The Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) is responsible to advise, educate and ensure the protection of personal data in
Switzerland. It is established by the Federal Act on Data Protection
[ and by the Federal Act on Freedom of Information in the Administration.][
The Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner is responsible for the supervision of federal authorities and private bodies with respect to ]data protection
Information privacy is the relationship between the collection and dissemination of data, technology, the public expectation of privacy, contextual information norms, and the legal and political issues surrounding them. It is also known as data pr ...
and freedom of information legislation
Freedom of information laws allow access by the general public to data held by national governments and, where applicable, by state and local governments. The emergence of freedom of information legislation was a response to increasing dissatisfa ...
. It is affiliated with the Federal Chancellery of Switzerland
The Federal Chancellery of Switzerland is a department-level agency of the federal administration of Switzerland. It is the staff organisation of the federal government, the Federal Council. Since 2016, it has been headed by Federal Chancello ...
.
The cantons
A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
also have data protection and information commissioners.
History
The position of Federal Data Protection Commissioner was created in 1993,Premier rapport d'activités (1993-1994)
Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (page visited on 18 September 2016). with the entry in force (on 1 July 1993) of the Federal Act on Data Protection of 19 June 1992.
Federal Chancellery of Switzerland
The Federal Chancellery of Switzerland is a department-level agency of the federal administration of Switzerland. It is the staff organisation of the federal government, the Federal Council. Since 2016, it has been headed by Federal Chancello ...
(page visited on 18 September 2016).[Federal Act on Freedom of Information in the Administration of 17 December 2004 (status as of 19 August 2014)]
Federal Chancellery of Switzerland
The Federal Chancellery of Switzerland is a department-level agency of the federal administration of Switzerland. It is the staff organisation of the federal government, the Federal Council. Since 2016, it has been headed by Federal Chancello ...
(page visited on 19 September 2016).
The commissioner is appointed by the Federal Council (for a term of office of four years) and approved by a vote of the Federal Assembly.[
]
Commissioners
* 1993-2001: Odilo Guntern (substitute: Jean-Philippe Walter)
* 2001-2015: Hanspeter Thür (substitute: Jean-Philippe Walter)
* 2015-2016: Jean-Philippe Walter, ''ad interim'' (substitute: Marc Buntschu)
* Since 2016: Adrian Lobsiger (substitute: Jean-Philippe Walter)
See also
* (Germany)
* Google Street View privacy concerns (Switzerland)
* Personally identifiable information (Switzerland)
* Information privacy
Information privacy is the relationship between the collection and dissemination of data, technology, the public expectation of privacy, contextual information norms, and the legal and political issues surrounding them. It is also known as data ...
* Information commissioner
References
External links
*
Federal Act on Data Protection
{{Authority control
Federal Chancellery of Switzerland
Data protection authorities