DPIA
A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is a structured process for identifying and minimizing the data-protection risks of a project or processing activity.
A Data Protection Impact Assessment is required under the GDPR when processing is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals — for example, large-scale profiling, processing of special-category data, or systematic monitoring.
A DPIA documents the nature, scope, context, and purposes of the processing; assesses its necessity and proportionality; identifies risks to individuals; and records the measures taken to mitigate those risks. If significant residual risk remains, the organization may need to consult its supervisory authority before proceeding.
Beyond meeting a legal obligation, a DPIA is a practical design tool: conducting it early surfaces privacy risks while they are still inexpensive to address and creates an audit trail demonstrating accountability.
Related terms
- GDPRThe General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Union law governing the processing of personal data, granting individuals rights over their data and imposing accountability obligations on organizations.
- RoPAA Record of Processing Activities (RoPA) is an inventory of how an organization processes personal data, maintained to demonstrate GDPR accountability.
- Risk RegisterA risk register is a centralized record of an organization's identified risks, capturing their likelihood, impact, ownership, and treatment status.
- Continuous ComplianceContinuous compliance is the practice of monitoring controls and collecting evidence on an ongoing basis, so an organization remains audit-ready at all times rather than only before an audit.