Criminal sanctions include fines of up to CHF 250,000.
By way of comparison, the GDPR provides for fines of up to €20 million or 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year.
However, the fines under the GDPR are imposed on the relevant company, whereas the Swiss ones are imposed on responsible natural persons.
On top of this, there is the risk of civil proceedings. Data subjects can claim damages, satisfaction and the handing over of profits, and also demand that concrete measures be taken regarding data processing.
For example, the data subject can request that all or some of their personal data not be processed, that their data not be disclosed to third parties, or the erasure or correction of their data.
