What is Privacy Impact Assessment?
A systematic evaluation of how a new project, policy, or technology will affect the privacy of individuals whose data is involved.
Also known as: PIA
PIAs help organizations identify and mitigate privacy risks before they become problems.
When to Conduct a PIA
- Launching a new product or service that collects personal data
- Changing how existing data is processed
- Implementing new surveillance or monitoring technology
- Sharing data with new third parties
- Migrating data to new systems or jurisdictions
PIA Process
- Describe the data processing
- Identify privacy risks
- Evaluate the necessity and proportionality
- Identify measures to mitigate risks
- Document decisions and rationale
- Review and update regularly
Privacy by Design Connection
A PIA is most effective at the design stage, not after launch. Conducting a PIA early lets you build privacy in from the start rather than bolting it on later.
Related Terms
Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
A process required under GDPR for evaluating the privacy risks of new projects or technologies that process personal data at scale.
Privacy by Design
An approach to systems engineering that takes privacy into account throughout the entire engineering process. Rather than bolting privacy protections onto existing systems, Privacy by Design builds privacy into the architecture from the ground up.
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