Chapter 1 - Scope and definitions
Section 1 - Scope of the ActSection 2 - DefinitionsChapter 2 - Legal basis for processing personal data
Section 3 - Processing of personal data by public bodiesSection 4 - Video surveillance of publicly accessible spacesChapter 3 - Data protection officers of public bodies
Section 5 - DesignationSection 6 - PositionSection 7 - TasksChapter 4 - Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information
Section 8 - EstablishmentSection 9 - CompetenceSection 10 - IndependenceSection 11 - Appointment and term of officeSection 12 - Official relationshipSection 13 - Rights and obligationsSection 14 - TasksSection 15 - Activity reportsSection 16 - PowersChapter 5 - Representation on the European Data Protection Board, single contact point, cooperation among the federal supervisory authorities and those of the Länder concerning European Union matters
Section 17 - Representation on the European Data Protection Board, single contact pointSection 18 - Procedures for cooperation among the federal and Länder supervisory authoritiesSection 19 - ResponsibilitiesChapter 6 - Legal remedies
Section 20 - Judicial remedySection 21 - Application of the supervisory authority for a court decision if it believes that an adequacy decision by the European Commission violates the lawChapter 1 - Legal basis for processing personal data
Sub-chapter 1 - Processing of special categories of personal data and processing for other purposes
Section 22 - Processing of special categories of personal dataSection 23 - Processing for other purposes by public bodiesSection 24 - Processing for other purposes by private bodiesSection 25 - Transfer of data by public bodiesSub-chapter 2 - Special processing situations
Section 26 - Data processing for employment-related purposesSection 27 - Data processing for purposes of scientific or historical research and for statistical purposesSection 28 - Data processing for archiving purposes in the public interestSection 29 - Rights of the data subject and powers of the supervisory authorities in the case of secrecy obligationsSection 30 - Consumer loansSection 31 - Protection of commercial transactions in the case of scoring and credit reportsChapter 2 - Rights of the data subject
Section 32 - Information to be provided where personal data are collected from the data subjectSection 33 - Information to be provided where personal data have not been obtained from the data subjectSection 34 - Right of access by the data subjectSection 35 - Right to erasureSection 36 - Right to objectSection 37 - Automated individual decision-making, including profilingChapter 3 - Obligations of controllers and processors
Section 38 - Data protection officers of private bodiesSection 39 - AccreditationChapter 4 - Supervisory authorities for data processing by private bodies
Section 40 - Supervisory authorities of the LänderChapter 5 - Penalties
Section 41 - Application of provisions concerning criminal proceedings and proceedings to impose administrative finesSection 42 - Penal provisionsSection 43 - Provisions on administrative finesChapter 6 - Legal remedies
Section 44 - Proceedings against a controller or processorChapter 1 - Scope, definitions and general principles for processing personal data
Section 45 - ScopeSection 46 - DefinitionsSection 47 - General principles for processing personal dataChapter 2 - Legal basis for processing personal data
Section 48 - Processing of special categories of personal dataSection 49 - Processing for other purposesSection 50 - Processing for archiving, scientific and statistical purposesSection 51 - ConsentSection 52 - Processing on instructions from the controllerSection 53 - ConfidentialitySection 54 - Automated individual decisionChapter 3 - Rights of the data subject
Section 55 - General information on data processingSection 56 - Notification of data subjectsSection 57 - Right of accessSection 58 - Right to rectification and erasure and to restriction of processingSection 59 - Modalities for exercising the rights of the data subjectSection 60 - Right to lodge a complaint with the Federal CommissionerSection 61 - Legal remedies against decisions of the Federal Commissioner or if he or she fails to take actionChapter 4 - Obligations of controllers and processors
Section 62 - Processing carried out on behalf of a controllerSection 63 - Joint controllersSection 64 - Requirements for the security of data processingSection 65 - Notifying the Federal Commissioner of a personal data breachSection 66 - Notifying data subjects affected by a personal data breachSection 67 - Conducting a data protection impact assessmentSection 68 - Cooperation with the Federal CommissionerSection 69 - Prior consultation of the Federal CommissionerSection 70 - Records of processing activitiesSection 71 - Data protection by design and by defaultSection 72 - Distinction between different categories of data subjectsSection 73 - Distinction between facts and personal assessmentsSection 74 - Procedures for data transfersSection 75 - Rectification and erasure of personal data and restriction of processingSection 76 - LoggingSection 77 - Confidential reporting of violationsChapter 5 - Transfers of data to third countries and to international organisations
Section 78 - General requirementsSection 79 - Data transfers with appropriate safeguardsSection 80 - Data transfers without appropriate safeguardsSection 81 - Other data transfers to recipients in third countriesChapter 6 - Cooperation among supervisory authorities
Section 82 - Mutual assistanceChapter 7 - Liability and penalties
Section 83 - CompensationSection 84 - Penal provisionsSection 62
Processing carried out on behalf of a controller
(1) Where personal data are processed by other persons or bodies on behalf of a controller, the controller shall ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act and other data protection provisions. The data subject shall assert his or her rights to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing and the right to receive compensation against the controller.
(2) A controller may use only processors providing sufficient guarantees to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures in such a manner that the processing will meet the requirements of the law and ensure the protection of the rights of the data subjects.
(3) Processors shall not engage other processors without prior written authorisation by the controller. If the controller has given the processor general authorisation to engage other processors, the processor shall inform the controller of any intended changes concerning the addition or replacement of other processors. In this case, the controller may object to such changes.
(4) Where a processor engages another processor, the former shall impose on the latter the same data protection obligations as set out in the contract between the controller and the processor as referred to in subsection 5 if these obligations are not already binding for the latter processor because of other legislation. Where that other processor fails to fulfil these obligations, the initial processor shall remain fully liable to the controller for the performance of that other processor's obligations.
(5) Processing by a processor shall be governed by a contract or other legal instrument that is binding on the processor with regard to the controller and that sets out the subject matter and duration of the processing, the nature and purpose of the processing, the type of personal data and categories of data subjects and the obligations and rights of the controller. That contract or other legal instrument shall stipulate, in particular, that the processor
1. acts only on instructions from the controller; if the processor believes that an instruction is unlawful, the processor shall inform the controller without delay;
2. ensures that persons authorized to process the personal data have committed themselves to confidentiality or are under an appropriate statutory obligation of confidentiality;
3. assists the controller by any appropriate means to ensure compliance with the provisions on the data subject's rights;
4. at the choice of the controller, deletes or returns all the personal data to the controller after the end of the provision of data processing services, and deletes existing copies unless law requires storage of the personal data;
5. makes available to the controller all information necessary, in particular the logs kept in accordance with Section 76, to demonstrate compliance with these obligations;
6. allows for and contributes to audits conducted by the controller or another auditor mandated by the controller;
7. complies with the conditions referred to in subsections 3 and 4 for engaging another processor;
8. takes all measures required pursuant to Section 64; and
9. assists the controller in ensuring compliance with the obligations pursuant to Sections 64 to 67 and 69 taking into account the nature of processing and the information available to the processor.
(6) The contract referred to in subsection 5 shall be in writing or in an electronic form.
(7) A processor that determines, in violation of this provision, the purposes and means of processing, shall be considered a controller in respect of that processing.