In this guide, we aim to elucidate the concept of Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), when and why it is required, and how it affects your business operations.
☝ If you don't have a DPIA yet, feel free to use Secfix template and tailor it according to your organization. You'll find the template under your Shared Drive or ask your Customer Success Manager.
What is a DPIA?
A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is a systematic process designed to evaluate the potential risks involved when processing personal data, especially when such processing could impact the rights and freedoms of individuals. It's a proactive approach to ensure that potential risks are identified and mitigated before any actual data processing begins.
When is a DPIA Required?
Not every data processing activity requires a DPIA. It's primarily required when the processing of data can pose a high risk to individuals. Here are some specific cases where a DPIA is necessary:
Systematic & Extensive Evaluation: This involves thorough assessments of personal aspects of individuals, often resulting from profiling activities. For instance, evaluating someone's creditworthiness or health status for insurance purposes.
Large-Scale Sensitive Data Processing: When handling large volumes of special categories of data, such as racial or ethnic origin, political views, religious beliefs, health data, or biometric data.
Public Area Monitoring: If you're monitoring public spaces extensively, like using CCTV cameras in multiple locations across a city.
Practical Examples
DPIA Required:
A bank that screens customers against a credit reference database.
A hospital setting up a new database containing patient health records.
A transportation company introducing cameras to monitor driver and passenger activities.
DPIA Not Required:
A local community doctor maintaining records of their patients. Here, since the scale is not vast (assuming a limited number of patients), a DPIA is not necessary.
A DPIA is an essential aspect of GDPR compliance, helping businesses identify and address potential privacy risks. While it might seem complex initially, understanding its purpose and when it's required can simplify the process. Always remember that a DPIA is about safeguarding both your business and the individuals whose data you process.