Your Control Center
For Privacy By Design & PIAs

A privacy impact assessment (PIA) is a systematic process used to identify, evaluate, and mitigate privacy risks associated with data processing activities. It helps organizations understand how personal data is collected, used, stored, and shared, and what impact these activities have on individuals' privacy rights. Under regulations like the DPDP Act, PIAs ensure that privacy considerations are embedded into projects from the start, helping organizations build trust, maintain compliance, and reduce the risk of data breaches or regulatory penalties.

A PIA is required when organizations undertake data processing activities that pose significant privacy risks to individuals. This includes launching new products or services that collect personal data, implementing new technologies like AI, biometrics, or surveillance systems, processing large volumes of sensitive personal data, conducting automated decision-making or profiling, or sharing data with third parties or across borders. Under the DPDP Act, organizations must conduct PIAs proactively to demonstrate accountability and ensure compliance before processing begins.

Conducting a PIA involves several key steps: identify the data processing activity and its purpose, map the data flow to understand what data is collected, where it's stored, and who has access, assess privacy risks by evaluating potential harm to individuals, identify mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate risks, document findings and actions taken for audit and compliance purposes, and review and update the PIA regularly as processes or regulations change. Privy's PIA platform automates this workflow by integrating with data discovery, consent management, and third-party risk modules, ensuring every assessment is thorough, traceable, and audit-ready.

A PIA (Privacy Impact Assessment) is a broad term for evaluating privacy risks in any data processing activity. A DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment) is a specific type of PIA required under regulations like GDPR and the DPDP Act when processing activities are likely to result in high risks to individuals' rights and freedoms. While all DPIAs are PIAs, not all PIAs are DPIAs. DPIAs have stricter requirements, including mandatory consultation with data protection authorities in certain cases. Privy's platform supports both PIAs and DPIAs, ensuring organizations meet regulatory requirements while maintaining flexibility for broader privacy assessments.

DPIA is required when processing is likely to result in high risks to individuals’ rights and freedoms. Examples include implementing new surveillance technologies, processing biometric data, or handling large volumes of sensitive data.