Workplace glossary

What is DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment)?

Definition & practical guide1 min read

A data protection impact assessment, or DPIA, is the structured exercise GDPR requires before processing likely to create high risk for individuals: describe the processing, assess necessity and proportionality, identify risks and set mitigations. Regulators expect one for things like large-scale monitoring of a publicly accessible area.

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Workplace projects that commonly trigger a DPIA include occupancy sensing, camera-based systems and any monitoring that could read as employee surveillance. Booking-based systems generally sit at the low-risk end, one reason many organisations prefer booking data over cameras for utilisation measurement.

Common questions

What does DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment) mean in simple terms?

A data protection impact assessment, or DPIA, is the structured exercise GDPR requires before processing likely to create high risk for individuals: describe the processing, assess necessity and proportionality, identify risks and set mitigations. Regulators expect one for things like large-scale monitoring of a publicly accessible area.

How is DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment) measured and reported?

Workplace projects that commonly trigger a DPIA include occupancy sensing, camera-based systems and any monitoring that could read as employee surveillance. Booking-based systems generally sit at the low-risk end, one reason many organisations prefer booking data over cameras for utilisation measurement.