At Watermelon, we take compliance with Swiss data protection legislation very seriously. Our camera systems, alarms and access controls are designed and installed in strict accordance with the revised Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP), which came into force on September 1, 2023.
In Switzerland, the FADP applies, not the European GDPR. However, the new Swiss FADP has been harmonised with the GDPR to facilitate data exchange with the European Union. Our installations therefore comply with both regulatory frameworks where necessary.
All our installations meet the fundamental principles of data protection:
Proportionality: our video surveillance systems are sized to your actual security needs, without excessive surveillance. Cameras are positioned to avoid capturing images in neighbouring private areas or irrelevant public places.
Transparency: we support you in implementing the mandatory signage informing people of the presence of surveillance cameras. This signage must mention the identity of the system operator and the purpose of the video surveillance.
Purpose limitation: data collected by your security systems may only be used for the declared purpose, generally the protection of property and persons.
In accordance with the FADP, we configure your systems to comply with the recommended retention periods. As a general rule, video recordings should not be kept for more than 24 to 72 hours, except in the event of an incident requiring extended retention for evidential purposes.
Our installations allow us to respond to the rights of individuals concerned by video surveillance, including the right of access to recordings concerning them and the right to information on the processing of their personal data.
All our systems incorporate appropriate technical and organizational security measures: data encryption, secure access and authentication, protection against unauthorized access, and secure backups where necessary.
For companies, we provide the documentation necessary to populate your register of processing activities, which is mandatory under the FADP for any organization processing personal data on a regular basis.
Every installation is unique. Our experts analyze your specific situation and advise you on the legal aspects of your security project. We adapt our solutions to ensure full compliance with current Swiss regulations, whether you are a private individual or a company.