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 provisions(1) This Act shall apply to the processing of personal data by
For private bodies, this Act shall apply to the processing of personal data wholly or partly by automated means and to the processing other than by automated means of personal data which form part of a filing system or are intended to form part of a filing system unless such processing is conducted by natural persons in the course of a purely personal or domestic activity.
(3) The provisions of this Act shall take precedence over those of the Administrative Procedure Act where personal data are processed to establish the facts.
1. the controller or processor processes personal data in Germany,
2. personal data are processed in the context of the activities of an establishment of the controller or processor in Germany, or if,
3. although the controller or processor has no establishment in a Member State of the European Union or another contracting state of the European Economic Area, it does fall within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119 of 4 May 2016, p. 1; L 314 of 22 November 2016, p. 72).
(7) With regard to processing for purposes in accordance with Article 1 (1) of Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA (OJ L 119 of 4 May 2016,
(8) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Parts 1 and 2 of this Act shall apply accordingly to processing of personal data by public bodies in the context of activities outside the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Directive (EU) 2016/680 unless otherwise provided for in this or another Act.
Public bodies shall be permitted to process personal data if such processing is necessary to perform the task for which the controller is responsible or to exercise official authority which has been vested in the controller.
(1) The public body shall ensure that the data protection officer is involved, properly and in a timely manner, in all issues which relate to the protection of personal data.
(2) The public body shall support the data protection officer in performing the tasks referred to in Section 7 by providing resources necessary to carry out those tasks and access to personal data and processing operations, and to maintain his or her expert knowledge.
(5) Data subjects may contact the data protection officer with regard to all issues related to processing of their personal data and to the exercise of their rights under Regulation (EU) 2016/679, this Act and other data protection legislation. The data protection officer shall be bound by secrecy concerning the identity of data subjects and concerning circumstances enabling data subjects to be identified, unless they are released from this obligation by the data subject.
2. to monitor compliance with this Act and other data protection legislation, including legislation enacted to implement Directive (EU) 2016/680, and with the policies of the public body in relation to the protection of personal data, including the assignment of responsibilities, awareness-raising and training of staff involved in processing operations, and the related audits;
(3) The Federal Commissioner may delegate human resources administration and management tasks to other federal bodies as long as doing so does not affect the Federal Commissioner’s independence. Personal data of staff members may be transmitted to these bodies as needed for them to perform their delegated tasks.
(1) At the proposal of the Federal Government, the German Bundestag shall elect without debate the Federal Commissioner with more than half of the statutory number of its members. The person elected shall be appointed by the Federal President. The Federal Commissioner must be at least 35 years old at the time of election. He or she shall have the qualifications, experience and skills, in particular in the area of the protection of personal data, required to perform his or her duties and exercise his or her powers. In particular, the Federal Commissioner must have knowledge of data protection law acquired from the relevant professional experience and be qualified for judicial office or higher administrative service.
2. to promote public awareness and understanding of the risks, rules, safeguards and rights in relation to the processing of personal data, paying special attention to measures specifically for children;
3. to advise the German Bundestag, the Bundesrat, the Federal Government, and other institutions and bodies on legislative and administrative measures relating to the protection of natural persons’ rights and freedoms with regard to the processing of personal data;
9. to monitor relevant developments, insofar as they have an impact on the protection of personal data, in particular the development of information and communication technologies and commercial practices;
(2) To carry out the task listed in subsection 1, first sentence, no. 3, the Federal Commissioner may, on request or at its own initiative, make recommendations to the German Bundestag or one of its committees, the Bundesrat, the Federal Government, other institutions and bodies and the public concerning all matters related to the protection of personal data. At the request of the German Bundestag, one of its committees or of the Federal Government, the Federal Commissioner shall also investigate data protection matters and incidents at public bodies of the Federation.
(1) The Federal Commissioner shall have, within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the powers referred to in Article 58 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679. If the Federal Commissioner concludes that data protection legislation has been violated or that there are other problems with the processing of personal data, he or she shall inform the competent authority for legal or technical matters and, before exercising the powers referred to in Article 58 (2) (b) to (g), (i) and (j) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, shall give this authority the opportunity to provide its opinion to the controller within a reasonable period. The opportunity to provide an opinion may be dispensed with if an immediate decision seems necessary due to imminent danger or in the public interest, or if it would conflict with compelling public interests. The opinion should also include a description of the measures taken on the basis of the information from the Federal Commissioner.
(2) If the Federal Commissioner finds that, in data processing for purposes beyond the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, public bodies of the Federation have violated this Act or other data protection legislation or there are other insufficiencies with their processing or use of personal data, the Federal Commissioner shall lodge a complaint with the competent supreme federal authority and shall require this authority to respond within a period to be determined by the Federal Commissioner. The Federal Commissioner may dispense with a complaint or a response, especially if the problems involved are insignificant or have been remedied in the meantime. The response should also describe the measures taken as a result of the Federal Commissioner’s complaint. The Federal Commissioner may also warn a controller that intended processing operations are likely to violate provisions of this Act and other data protection provisions which apply to the data processing in question.
1. personal data obtained by public bodies of the Federation concerning the contents of and specific circumstances relating to postal communications and telecommunications, and
2. personal data subject to professional or special official secrecy, especially tax secrecy under Section 30 of the German Fiscal Code.
1. access to all official premises at all times, including to any data processing equipment and means, and to all personal data and all information necessary to perform their tasks; and
(1) By derogation from Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the processing of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall be permitted
2. measures to ensure that it is subsequently possible to verify and establish whether and by whom personal data were input, altered or removed;
5. restrictions on access to personal data within the controller and by processors;
6. the pseudonymization of personal data;
7. the encryption of personal data;
8. measures to ensure the ability, confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services related to the processing of personal data, including the ability to rapidly restore availability and access in the event of a physical or technical incident;
(1) Public bodies shall be permitted to process personal data for a purpose other than the one for which the data were collected where such processing is necessary for them to perform their duties and if
(2) The processing of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9
(1) Private bodies shall be permitted to process personal data for a purpose other than the one for which the data were collected if
(2) The processing of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9
(1) The transfer of personal data by public bodies to public bodies shall be permitted if it is necessary for the transferring body or the third party to whom the data are transferred to perform their duties and the conditions are met which would permit processing pursuant to Section 23. The third party to whom the data are transferred shall process the transferred data only for the purpose for which they were transferred. Processing for other purposes shall be permitted only if the conditions of Section 23 are met.
(2) Public bodies shall be permitted to transfer personal data to private bodies if
(3) The transfer of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall be permitted if the conditions of subsection 1 or 2 are met and an exception pursuant to Article 9 (2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 or pursuant to Section 22 applies.
(1) Personal data of employees may be processed for employment-related purposes where necessary for hiring decisions or, after hiring, for carrying out or terminating the employment contract or to exercise or satisfy rights and obligations of employees’ representation laid down by law or by collective agreements or other agreements between the employer and staff council. Employees’ personal data may be processed to detect crimes only if there is a documented reason to believe the data subject has committed a crime while employed, the processing of such data is necessary to investigate the crime and is not outweighed by the data subject’s legitimate interest in not processing the data, and in particular the type and extent are not disproportionate to the reason.
(2) If personal data of employees are processed on the basis of consent, then the employee’s level of dependence in the employment relationship and the circumstances under which consent was given shall be taken into account in assessing whether such consent was freely given. Consent may be freely given in particular if it is associated with a legal or economic advantage for the employee, or if the employer and employee are pursuing the same interests. Consent shall be given in written form, unless a different form is appropriate because of special circumstances. The employer shall inform the employee in text form of the purpose of data processing and of the employee’s right to withdraw consent pursuant to Article 7 (3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
(3) By derogation from Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the processing of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 for employment-related purposes shall be permitted if it is necessary to exercise rights or comply with legal obligations derived from labour law, social security and social protection law, and there is no reason to believe that the data subject has an overriding legitimate interest in not processing the data. Subsection 2 shall also apply to consent to the processing of special categories of personal data; consent must explicitly refer to these data. Section 22 (2) shall apply accordingly.
(4) The processing of personal data, including special categories of personal data of employees for employment-related purposes, shall be permitted on the basis of collective agreements. The negotiating partners shall comply with Article 88 (2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
(5) The controller must take appropriate measures to ensure compliance in particular with the principles for processing personal data described in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
(7) Subsections 1 to 6 shall also apply when personal data, including special categories of personal data, of employees are processed without forming or being intended to form part of a filing system.
(1) By derogation from Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the processing of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall be permitted also without consent for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes, if such processing is necessary for these purposes and the interests of the controller in processing substantially outweigh those of the data subject in not processing the data. The controller shall take appropriate and specific measures to safeguard the interests of the data subject in accordance with Section 22 (2), second sentence.
(3) In addition to the measures listed in Section 22 (2), special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 processed for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes shall be rendered anonymous as soon as the research or statistical purpose allows, unless this conflicts with legitimate interests of the data subject. Until such time, the characteristics enabling information concerning personal or material circumstances to be attributed to an identified or identifiable individual shall be stored separately. They may be combined with the information only to the extent required by the research or statistical purpose.
(4) The controller may publish personal data only if the data subject has provided consent or if doing so is indispensable for the presentation of research findings on contemporary events.
(1) By derogation from Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the processing of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall be permitted if necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest. The controller shall take appropriate and specific measures to safeguard the interests of the data subject in accordance with Section 22 (2), second sentence.
(3) The right of the data subject to rectification according to Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall not apply if the personal data are processed for archiving purposes in the public interest. If the data subject disputes the accuracy of the personal data, he or she shall have the opportunity to present his or her version. The responsible archive shall be obligated to add this version to the files.
(1) In addition to the exceptions in Article 14 (5) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the obligation to provide information to the data subject according to Article 14 (1) to (4) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall not apply as far as meeting this obligation would disclose information which by its nature must be kept secret, in particular because of overriding legitimate interests of a third party. The right of access according to Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall not apply as far as access would disclose information which by law or by its nature must be kept secret, in particular because of overriding legitimate interests of a third party. In addition to the exception in Article 34 (3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the obligation to inform the data subject of a personal data breach according to Article 34 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall not apply as far as meeting this obligation would disclose information which by law or by its nature must be kept secret, in particular because of overriding legitimate interests of a third party. By derogation from the exception pursuant to the third sentence, the data subject pursuant to Article 34 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall be informed if the interests of the data subject outweigh the interest in secrecy, in particular taking into account the threat of damage.
(1) Any body which for the purpose of transfer commercially collects, stores or modifies personal data which may be used to evaluate the creditworthiness of consumers shall treat requests for information from lenders in other European Union Member States the same way it treats information requests from domestic lenders.
(3) If the provision of information relates to the transfer by public bodies of personal data to the authorities for the protection of the Constitution, the Federal Intelligence Service, the Military Counterintelligence Service and, as far as the security of the Federation is affected, other authorities of the Federal Ministry of Defence, such provision shall be permitted only with the approval of these bodies.
(4) The data subject shall have the right to information about personal data processed by a public body neither in automated nor in non-automated form and stored in a filing system only if the data subject provides information enabling the data to be located and if the effort required is not disproportionate to the data subject’s interest in the information.
(1) If in the case of non-automated data processing erasure would be impossible or would involve a disproportionate effort due to the specific mode of storage and if the data subject’s interest in erasure can be regarded as minimal, the data subject shall not have the right to erasure and the controller shall not be obligated to erase personal data in accordance with Article 17 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 in addition to the exceptions given in Article 17 (3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679. In this case, restriction of processing in accordance with Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall apply in place of erasure. The first and second sentences shall not apply if the personal data were processed unlawfully.
(1) In addition to Article 37 (1) (b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the controller and processor shall designate a data protection officer if they constantly employ as a rule at least ten persons dealing with the automated processing of personal data. If the controller or processor undertake processing subject to a data protection impact assessment pursuant to Article 35 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, or if they commercially process personal data for the purpose of transfer, of anonymized transfer or for purposes of market or opinion research, they shall designate a data protection officer regardless of the number of persons employed in processing.
(1) The following actions done deliberately and without authorisation with regard to the personal data of a large number of people which are not publicly accessible shall be punishable with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine:
(2) The following actions done with regard to personal data which are not publicly accessible shall be punishable with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine:
The provisions of this Part shall apply to the processing of personal data by public bodies competent for the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal or administrative offences or the execution of criminal or administrative penalties, as far as they process data for the purpose of carrying out these tasks. The public bodies shall be regarded in that case as controllers. The prevention of criminal offences as referred to in the first sentence shall include protection against and prevention of threats to public security. The first and second sentences shall also apply to those public bodies responsible for executing penalties, measures as referred to in Section 11 (1) no. 8 of the Criminal Code, educational or disciplinary measures as referred to in the Juvenile Court Act or fines. As far as this Part contains provisions for processors, it shall also apply to them.
1. ‘personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (data subject); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that person;
2. ‘processing’ means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation, alteration, retrieval,
3. ‘restriction of processing’ means the marking of stored personal data with the aim of limiting their processing in the future;
4. ‘profiling’ means any form of automated processing of personal data involving the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that natural person's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location or movements;
5. ‘pseudonymization’ means the processing of personal data in such a manner that the data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal data cannot be attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person;
6. ‘filing system’ means any structured set of personal data which are accessible according to specific criteria, whether centralised, decentralised or dispersed on a functional or geographical basis;
7. ‘controller’ means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data;
8. ‘processor’ means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller;
9. ‘recipient’ means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body to which the personal data are disclosed, whether a third party or not. However, public authorities which may receive personal data in the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with Union or other law shall not be regarded as recipients; the processing of those data by those public authorities shall be in compliance with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing;
10. ‘personal data breach’ means a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data processed;
11. ‘genetic data’ means personal data, relating to the inherited or acquired genetic characteristics of a natural person which give unique information about the physiology or the health of that natural person and which result, in particular, from an analysis of a biological sample from the natural person in question;
12. ‘biometric data’ means personal data resulting from specific technical processing relating to the physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics of a natural person which allow or confirm the unique identification of that natural person, in particular facial images or dactyloscopic data;
13. ‘data concerning health’ means personal data related to the physical or mental health of a natural person, including the provision of health care services, which reveal information about his or her health status;
14. ‘special categories of personal data’
17. ‘consent’ means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject's wishes in a particular case by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.
Personal data shall be
21. accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; every reasonable step must be taken to ensure that personal data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay;
23. processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures.
(1) The processing of special categories of personal data shall be allowed only where strictly necessary for the performance of the controller’s tasks.
(2) If special categories of personal data are processed, appropriate safeguards for the legally protected interests of the data subject shall be implemented. Appropriate safeguards may be in particular
4. restrictions on access to personal data within the controller;
6. the pseudonymization of personal data;
7. the encryption of personal data; or
Processing personal data for a purpose other than the one for which they were collected shall be permitted if the other purpose is one of the purposes listed in Section 45, the controller is authorized to process data for this purpose, and processing is necessary and proportionate to this purpose. Processing personal data for another purpose not listed in Section 45 shall be permitted if it is allowed by law.
Personal data may be processed in the context of purposes listed in Section 45 in archival, scientific or statistical form if doing so is in the public interest and appropriate safeguards for the legally protected interests of data subjects are implemented. Such safeguards may consist of rendering the personal data anonymous as quickly as possible, taking measures to prevent unauthorised disclosure to third parties, or in processing them organisationally and spatially separate from other tasks.
(1) If personal data may be processed by law on the basis of consent, the controller must be able to present evidence of the data subject’s consent.
(5) If special categories of personal data are to be processed, the consent must explicitly refer to these data.
Any person acting under the authority of the controller or of the processor who has access to personal data shall not process those data except on instructions from the controller, unless required to do so by law.
Persons employed in data processing shall not process personal data without authorisation (confidentiality). They shall be obligated when taking up their duties to maintain confidentiality. The obligation of confidentiality shall continue after their employment ends.
(2) Decisions referred to in subsection 1 shall not be based on special categories of personal data unless suitable measures to safeguard the data subject's legally protected and legitimate interests are in place.
(3) Profiling that results in discrimination against natural persons on the basis of special categories of personal data shall be prohibited.
2. the rights of data subjects with regard to the processing of their personal data to access, rectification, erasure and restriction of processing,
(1) If special legislation provides for or requires notifying data subjects of the processing of their personal data, especially in the case of undercover operations, such notification shall include at least the following information:
3. the period for which the personal data will be stored, or if that is not possible, the criteria used to determine that period;
4. the categories of recipients of the personal data, if any;
5. where necessary, further information, in particular where the personal data were collected without the knowledge of the data subject.
(3) If the notification relates to the transfer of personal data to the authorities for the protection of the Constitution, the Federal Intelligence Service, the Military Counterintelligence Service and, as far as the security of the Federation is affected, other authorities of the Federal Ministry of Defence, such notification shall be permitted only with the approval of these bodies.
1. the personal data being processed and the categories to which they belong;
(2) Subsection 1 shall not apply to personal data recorded only because they may not be erased due to legal or statutory provisions on retention, or only for purposes of monitoring data protection or safeguarding data, if providing information would require a disproportionate effort, and appropriate technical and organisational measures make processing for other purposes impossible.
(5) If the information to be provided relates to the transfer of personal data to the authorities for the protection of the Constitution, the Federal Intelligence Service, the Military Counterintelligence Service and, as far as the security of the Federation is affected, other authorities of the Federal Ministry of Defence, such provision shall be permitted only with the approval of these bodies.
(1) The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the controller without delay the rectification of inaccurate data concerning him or her. In particular in the case of statements or assessments, the question of accuracy is not relevant for the content of the statement or assessment. If the accuracy or inaccuracy of the data cannot be ascertained, the controller shall restrict processing instead of erasing the data. In this case, the controller shall inform the data subject before lifting the restriction of processing. The data subject may also ask to have incomplete personal data completed, if doing so is appropriate when taking into account the purposes of processing.
(2) The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning him or her without delay where processing such data is unlawful, knowledge of the data is no longer necessary for the performance of tasks, or the data must be erased to comply with a legal obligation.
(5) If the controller has rectified inaccurate data, he or she shall communicate the rectification to the body from which he or she received the personal data. In cases of rectification, erasure or restriction of processing pursuant to subsections 1 to 3, the controller shall inform recipients to whom the data were transferred about these measures. The recipient shall rectify or erase the data or restrict their processing.
(6) The controller shall inform the data subject in writing of any refusal to rectify or erase personal data or restrict its processing. This shall not apply if providing this information would entail a threat as referred to in Section 56 (2). The information pursuant to the first sentence shall include the reasons for the refusal unless providing the reasons would undermine the intended purpose of the refusal.
(1) Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, every data subject shall have the right to lodge a complaint with the Federal Commissioner, if the data subject believes that the processing by public bodies of personal data relating to him or her for the purposes listed in Section 45 infringes his or her rights. This shall not apply to the processing of personal data by courts, if they have processed these data in the context of their judicial activities. The Federal Commissioner shall inform the data subject of the progress and the outcome of the complaint and of the possibility of a judicial remedy pursuant to Section 61.
(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.
(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
2. ensures that persons authorized to process the personal data have committed themselves to confidentiality or are under an appropriate statutory obligation of confidentiality;
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;
(1) The controller and the processor, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the legally protected interests of natural persons, shall implement the necessary technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk when processing personal data, in particular as regards the processing of special categories of personal data. In doing so, the controller shall take into account the relevant Technical Guidelines and recommendations from the Federal Office for Information Security.
(2) The measures referred to in subsection 1 may include pseudonymization and encryption of personal data, if such means are possible in view of the purposes of processing. The measures pursuant to subsection 1 should ensure
2. the ability to restore the availability and access to personal data in a timely manner in the event of a physical or technical incident.
3. prevent the unauthorised input of personal data and the unauthorised inspection, modification or deletion of stored personal data (‘storage control’);
5. ensure that persons authorized to use an automated processing system have access only to the personal data covered by their access authorisation (‘data access control’);
6. ensure that it is possible to verify and establish the bodies to which personal data have been or may be transmitted or made available using data communication equipment (‘communication control’);
7. ensure that it is subsequently possible to verify and establish which personal data have been input into automated processing systems and when and by whom the personal data were input (‘input control’);
8. ensure that the confidentiality and integrity of personal data are protected during transfers of personal data or during transport of data media (‘transport control’);
11. ensure that stored personal data cannot be corrupted by means of a malfunctioning of the system (‘integrity’);
12. ensure that personal data processed on behalf of the controller can only be processed in compliance with the controller’s instructions (‘processing control’);
13. ensure that personal data are protected against loss and destruction (‘availability control’);
14. ensure that personal data collected for different purposes can be processed separately (‘separability’).
(1) In the case of a personal data breach, the controller shall notify the Federal Commissioner without delay and, if possible, not later than 72 hours after having become aware of it, of the personal data breach, unless the personal data breach is unlikely to result in a risk to the legally protected interests of natural persons. If the Federal Commissioner is not notified within 72 hours, the notification shall be accompanied by reasons for the delay.
(2) A processor shall notify the controller of a personal data breach without delay.
1. a description of the nature of the personal data breach including, where possible, the categories and approximate number of data subjects concerned and the categories and approximate number of personal data records concerned;
3. a description of the likely consequences of the personal data breach; and
4. a description of the measures taken or proposed by the controller to address the personal data breach, including measures to mitigate its possible adverse effects.
(5) The controller shall document any personal data breaches. This documentation shall include all the facts relating to the personal data breach, its effects and the remedial action taken.
(6) If the personal data breach involves personal data that have been transmitted by or to a controller in another Member State of the European Union, the information referred to in subsection 3 shall be communicated to the controller in that Member State without delay.
(8) Additional obligations of the controller regarding notifications of personal data breaches shall remain unaffected.
(1) If a personal data breach is likely to result in a substantial risk to the legally protected interests of natural persons, the controller shall notify the data subject of the personal data breach without delay.
(2) The notification of the data subject pursuant to subsection 1 shall describe in clear and plain language the nature of the personal data breach and contain at least the information and measures referred to in Section 65 (3) nos. 2 to 4.
1. the controller has implemented appropriate technical and organisational protection measures, and those measures were applied to the personal data affected by the personal data breach, in particular those that render the personal data unintelligible to any person who is not authorized to access them, such as encryption;
(4) If the controller has not informed the data subjects of a personal data breach, the Federal Commissioner may formally determine that, in his or her opinion, the conditions referred to in subsection 3 have not been met. In doing so, the Federal Commissioner shall consider the likelihood of the personal data breach resulting in a high risk as referred to in subsection 1.
(5) The notification of data subjects pursuant to subsection 1 may be delayed, restricted or omitted under the conditions referred to in Section 56 (2) unless the interests of the data subjects outweigh those of the controller owing to the high risk resulting from the personal data breach as referred to in subsection 1.
4. the measures envisaged to address the risks, including safeguards, security measures and mechanisms to ensure the protection of personal data and to demonstrate compliance with the law.
On request, the Federal Commissioner shall be given any other information he or she requires to assess the lawfulness of the processing and, in particular, the existing risks to the protection of the data subjects’ personal data and the related safeguards.
3. the categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or are to be disclosed;
4. a description of the categories of data subjects and of the categories of personal data;
6. where applicable, the categories of transfers of personal data to bodies in a third country or to an international organisation;
8. the envisaged time limits for the erasure or for a review of the need to store the various categories of personal data; and
2. where applicable, transfers of personal data to bodies in a third country or to an international organisation, including the identification of that third country or international organisation; and
(1) The controller, both at the time the means of processing are determined and at the time of the processing itself, shall take appropriate measures to implement data protection principles, such as data minimization, in an effective manner, to ensure compliance with legal requirements and to protect the rights of data subjects. In doing so, the controller shall take into account the state of the art, the cost of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing, as well as the risks of varying likelihood and severity for the legally protected interests of the data subject posed by the processing. In particular, personal data shall be processed, and processing systems shall be selected and designed in accordance with the aim of processing as few personal data as possible. Personal data shall be rendered anonymous or pseudonymized as early as possible, as far as possible in accordance with the purpose of processing.
(2) The controller shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure that, by default, only personal data which are necessary for each specific purpose of the processing are processed. That applies to the amount of data collected, the extent of their processing, the period of their storage and their accessibility. In particular, the measures must ensure that by default the data are not made accessible by automated means to an indefinite number of persons.
When processing personal data, the controller shall, as far as possible, make a clear distinction between different categories of data subjects. This applies in particular to the following categories:
In processing, the controller shall distinguish, as far as possible, personal data based on facts from personal data based on personal assessments. To this end, the controller shall identify evaluations based on personal assessments as such, as far as possible and reasonable in the context of the processing in question. It must also be possible to determine which body keeps the records on which an evaluation based on a personal assessment is based.
(1) The controller shall take appropriate measures to ensure that personal data which are inaccurate or no longer up to date are not transmitted or otherwise made available. To that end, the controller shall, as far as possible with reasonable effort, verify the quality of the data before they are transmitted or made available. The controller shall also, as far as possible and reasonable, in all transmissions of personal data include the necessary information to enable the recipient to assess the degree of accuracy, completeness and reliability of the data, and the extent to which they are up to date.
(2) If the processing of personal data is subject to special conditions, in transmissions of data the transmitting body shall inform the recipient of these conditions and the requirement to respect them. The obligation of providing information may be met by marking the data accordingly.
(1) The controller shall rectify inaccurate personal data.
(2) The controller shall erase personal data without delay if their processing is unlawful, they must be erased to comply with a legal obligation, or knowledge of the data is no longer necessary for the controller to perform its tasks.
(3) Section 58 (3) to (5) shall apply accordingly. The recipient shall also be informed if inaccurate personal data have been transmitted, or if personal data have been transmitted unlawfully.
(4) Without prejudice to any time limits for storing or erasing data defined in law, the controller shall provide for appropriate time limits for the erasure of personal data or for a periodic review of the need for the storage of personal data and shall take procedural measures to ensure that these time limits are observed.
(2) The logs of consultation and disclosure must make it possible to ascertain the justification, date and time of such operations and, as far as possible, the identity of the person who consulted or disclosed personal data, and the identity of the recipients of the data.
(3) The logs may be used only by the data protection officer, the Federal Commissioner or the data subject to verify the lawfulness of the processing; and for selfmonitoring, ensuring the integrity and security of the personal data, and for criminal proceedings.
(1) If all other conditions applicable to data transfers are met, the transfer of personal data to bodies in third countries or to international organisations shall be permitted if
(2) No transfer of personal data shall be permitted, despite an adequacy decision as referred to in subsection 1 no. 2 and the public interest in the data transfer to be taken into account, if in the individual case it cannot be ensured that the data will be handled appropriately in terms of data protection law and in accordance with fundamental human rights in the area of responsibility of the recipient, or if a transfer would conflict with other overriding legitimate interests of a data subject. The controller shall base its assessment on whether the recipient in the individual case guarantees appropriate protection of the transferred data.
(3) If personal data which have been transmitted or made available from another European Union Member State are to be transferred pursuant to subsection 1, the competent body of the other Member State must provide prior authorisation of the transfer. Transfers without the prior authorisation shall be permitted only if the transfer is necessary to prevent an immediate and serious threat to the public security of a country or to essential interests of a Member State and the prior authorisation cannot be obtained in time. In the case of the second sentence, the other Member State’s body responsible for giving prior authorisation shall be informed of the transfer without delay.
(4) The controller transferring data pursuant to subsection 1 shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the recipient will transfer the data onward to other third countries or other international organisations only with the prior authorisation of the controller. When deciding whether to authorize the transfer, the controller shall take into account all relevant factors, including the seriousness of the criminal offence, the purpose for which the personal data were originally transferred and the level of personal data protection in the third country or international organisation to which the data are to be transferred onward. The transfer shall be authorized only if a direct transfer to the other third country or international organisation would be lawful. The responsibility for issuing authorisation may also be otherwise provided for.
1. appropriate safeguards with regard to the protection of personal data are provided for in a legally binding instrument; or
2. the controller has assessed all the circumstances surrounding the transfer and concludes that appropriate safeguards exist for the protection of personal data.
(2) The controller shall document transfers pursuant to subsection 1 no. 2. The documentation shall include the date and time of the transfer, the identity of the recipient, the reason for the transfer and the personal data transferred. It shall be provided to the Federal Commissioner on request.
(1) In special individual cases and if all other requirements for data transfers to third countries are met, controllers may transfer personal data directly to recipients in third countries not referred to in Section 78 (1) no. 1 if the transfer is strictly necessary for the performance of their tasks and
obligate the recipient to process the transferred personal data without the controller’s consent only for the purpose for which they were transferred.
(1) If a controller has caused a data subject to suffer damage by processing personal data in violation of this Act or other law applicable to this processing, the controller or its legal entity shall be obligated to provide compensation to the data subject. This obligation to provide compensation shall not apply if, in the case of non-automated processing, the damage was not the result of fault by the controller.
(3) If, in the case of automated processing of personal data, it is not possible to determine which of several controllers caused the damage, each controller or its legal entity shall be liable.
Section 42 shall apply accordingly to the processing of personal data by public bodies in the context of activities pursuant to Section 45, first, third or fourth sentences.
(1) The transfer of personal data to a third country, to supranational or intergovernmental bodies or to international organisations in the context of activities outside the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Directive (EU) 2016/680 shall be permitted in addition to the cases permitted under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 also if the processing is necessary to perform tasks for urgent reasons of defence or to fulfil supraor intergovernmental obligations of a public body of the Federation in the field of crisis management or conflict prevention or for humanitarian measures. The recipient shall be instructed that the transferred data may be used only for the purpose for which they were transferred.
4. The following subsection 5a shall be added after Section 22 (5): “(5a) The Federal Commissioner may delegate human resources administration and management tasks to other federal bodies as long as doing so does not affect the Federal Commissioner’s independence. Personal data of staff members may be transferred to these bodies as needed for them to perform their delegated tasks.”