Privacy Policy
1. General Information
Your data are safe in our hands. The Federal Administration only collects the personal data that it needs to fulfil its tasks (data economy). Stored data are carefully managed and protected against any form of abuse.
Under Article 13 of the Swiss Federal Constitution and under federal data protection law, everyone is entitled to have their privacy protected and to have their personal data protected from abuse. The Federal Administration complies with these provisions on its web pages and when providing its web services.
2. Scope of Application
This Privacy Notice applies to all pages on Federal Administration websites in the ‘admin.ch’ domain, to web pages operated by third parties on behalf of the Federal Administration and to the personal data collected via these web pages. This Privacy Notice may be amended at any time without prior notice. Where the Federal Administration web pages or pages operated on its behalf offer links to the web pages of other providers, the privacy information and policies of those providers apply to their own pages.
Individual units of the Federal Administration have their own or additional data protection provisions. Apps jointly developed by the Federal Administration may be subject to data protection provisions that cover their specific use. Please note: if you download an app, the operator of the app stores will normally be provided with your details.
3. Links
The Federal Administration has no influence over external pages to which it provides links, nor over external pages that provide links to Federal Administration pages. Accordingly, the Federal Administration provides no guarantee in relation to such pages that the information they contain is accurate or that they are free of malware (such as viruses). Responsibility for the information and services provided on linked web pages or web services are entirely the responsibility of the third party concerned. The Federal Administration accepts no responsibility or liability for such web pages or web services.
4. What happens to your data?
a) Retention and erasure
The processing of personal data on the web pages of the Confederation is limited to the data that are required to provide a properly functioning website and user-friendly content and services, or to the data that you have actively made available to us. The personal data that we collect is only retained for as long as they are needed in order to fulfil the purpose concerned. Certain data may be retained for longer in order to meet statutory requirements or other obligations.
b) Data stored when completing a form
If you complete a form on our website (e.g. a contact form), we process the data that you provide us to the extent that this is required to fulfil the purpose of processing or to deal with your request. Normally any information we receive is provided on a voluntary basis. Obligatory fields are only marked as such if the information is required in order to fulfil our statutory duty or to deal with your request or enquiry. These data are erased when the statutory retention period expires at the latest.
c) Data stored for the purpose of sending the newsletter
If you order a newsletter, the following data will be recorded: your email address (obligatory); any title, your first name and surname (all optional). Your personal data related to sending out the newsletters to which you subscribe will be erased immediately if you terminate your subscription.
d) Data stored for the purpose of web analysis
If you access the Federal Administration’s web pages and web services, the following data will be stored in log files: the IP address, date, time, browser request and the information transmitted relating to the device used, including the operating system and browser. These data are evaluated by web analysis tools (see below). The Federal Administration does this in order to continuously improve its methods of communication.
Web analysis tools: The Federal Administration uses the Matomo software solution as standard for web analysis not related to specific persons. Matomo is operated by the Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication (FOITT). The Federal Chancellery also operates a Matomo server. A managed server at Metanet (Schweiz) AG is used. Tracking is carried out using JavaScript and Pixel but only within the domain (admin.ch) and is completely under the Federal Administration’s control, with all data remaining in Switzerland. The data obtained is used exclusively for web analysis; they are not shared or combined with other data records.
Some federal offices use other tools for web analysis, such as Siteimprove. The data processing is carried out in other European countries in accordance with the GDPR (Privacy Policy: Siteimprove Services).
e) Cookies
Cookies are used on various Federal Administration websites in order to make visiting the website attractive and to allow certain functions to be used. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer. Most of the cookies used (session cookies) are deleted from your hard disk at the end of the browser session. Other cookies remain on your computer and enable you to be recognised again when you make your next visit (permanent cookies).You can stop cookies from being stored on your browser by restricting or deactivating the storage and reading of cookies. Please note that you will not be able to use certain functions of the website without enabling cookies.
f) Social networks and other third party services
The Federal Administration manages miscellaneous accounts and profiles on social networks (including X, Facebook, LinkedIN, Xing, Instagram, etc.), its own YouTube channels and various apps. These pages and services are offered and operated by third parties. All of these pages have their own data protection provisions.In addition, third-party services, such as those provided by YouTube, X, Google Maps, Google Ads, Google Custom Search, Instagram, bit.ly etc., are directly embedded into individual Federal Administration web pages. These providers also use cookies, etc. When they use the relevant Federal Administration web pages, the user’s data is automatically transmitted to these companies. In such cases, the data protection provisions of the provider concerned expressly apply. Users must be aware that data is collected via these services and may also be passed on to third parties. If users also have an account with the service concerned, the operator may assign the information transmitted directly to the personal account concerned.
The Federal Administration has no influence over the collection of data or its further use by these operators. The Federal Administration has no knowledge of how much data they store, where they store it and how long, the extent to which they comply with duties to erase data, the analyses they make of the data, the links they make to the data and to whom they pass on the data.
The most important third-party services the Federal Administration uses are:
YouTube: As soon as you call up a Federal Administration webpage that has a YouTube video embedded in it, a connection is established with the YouTube servers, and plug-ins from YouTube (YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA; subsidiary of Google LLC) are used from time to time. YouTube receives information on which page was visited from which IP address.
Google Maps: The Google Maps map service provided by Google LLC (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA) is used from time to time in order to display interactive maps and to provide directions to federal government offices. If you use Google Maps, information on your use (e.g. IP address) may be saved and sent to a Google server in the USA.
Google Custom Search: Certain Federal Administration offices use the ‘Custom Search’ search box provided by Google LLC. If you use this search box (by sending the form), user data will be sent to the operator company. For further information on how Google handles user data, please consult the Google Privacy Policy.
Instagram: Instagram, Inc. is owned by Facebook. For further information on how Instagram handles user data, please consult its Data Policy.
X: X, Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94103. For further information on how X handles user data, please consult its Privacy Policy and its Cookies guidelines.
Bitly: Bitly is a URL shortening service. Bitly, Inc. is based in New York, USA. You will find further information on how Bitly handles user data at https://bitly.com/pages/privacy
Google reCaptcha: Under the name reCaptcha, Google LLC operates services that may recognise and prevent automated actions on websites. Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Identity providers: For authentic access to applications of the Federal Administration, electronic identities may be used through third-party identity providers. List of the identity providers used.
5. Your rights
You have the right to request information on the processing of your personal data by any unit of the Federal Administration at any time free of charge. Contact the office named in the printer’s imprint (Impressum). You may have further statutory rights, such as the right to have data erased or corrected, to have data processing restricted and to have data transmitted.
Collecting data in order to provide the website and storing data in log files is absolutely essential to the operation of our website. As a result, users of our website have no right to object in this respect.
6. Data security
Website: When you visit our website, the Federal Administration uses encrypted data communication based on TLS in conjunction with the highest encryption level supported by your browser. You can see whether a page on the website is being transmitted in encrypted form by checking whether the lock symbol displayed in the address bar of your browser is closed.
General data processing: In addition, the Federal Administration uses suitable technical and organisational security measures in its data processing in order to protect your data against accidental or wilful manipulation, partial or complete loss, destruction or unauthorised access by third parties. The Federal Administration’s security measures correspond to the current state of the art.
7. Operation
The web servers that are used to operate the websites are technically maintained by the Federal Administration’s own service providers. Individual services may also be provided by external partners. External operators are subject to the same data protection requirements as apply to internally operated applications.
8. Name and contact details of the persons responsible
If you have any questions about data processing or if you believe that the Federal Administration may be infringing your rights by processing your personal data, please contact the data protection officer at the federal office responsible for the website.
Limitation of liability
Although every care has been taken by the Federal Authorities to ensure the accuracy of the information published, no warranty can be given in respect of the accuracy, reliability, up-to-dateness or completeness of this information.
The Federal Authorities reserve the right to alter or remove the content, in full or in part, without prior notice.
In no event will the Federal Authorities be liable for any loss or damage of a material or immaterial nature arising from access to, use or non-use of published information, or from misuse of the connection or technical faults.
Links
Links to third party websites lie outside the scope of responsibility of the Federal Authorities. Access and use of such websites occurs entirely at the user’s own risk. The Federal Authorities expressly state that they have no influence whatsoever over the content of any linked site. Responsibility for information and services of linked sites rests entirely with the relevant third parties.
Copyright
Copyright, Swiss federal authorities.
Information on the federal authorities' websites is accessible to the public.
Downloading or copying of texts, illustrations, photos or any other data does not entail any transfer of rights on the content.
Copyright and any other rights relating to texts, illustrations, photos or any other data available on the Federal authorities' websites are the exclusive property of the federal authorities or of any other expressly mentioned owners. Any reproduction requires the prior written consent of the copyright holder.
Payments
The FDFA provides a range of services and products that are payable by credit card via the online desk on its website. With an online order the client enters into a contract to purchase a product or service, which is settled with the payment in full of the outstanding amount. A transaction fee is debited to the credit card account. The order is processed after the payment has been made. Once the client has sent an order, it is no longer possible to return or exchange a product or cancel an order for a service, or claim reimbursement of the purchase price.
