What is Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)?
A Privacy Impact Assessment is a process used to identify and evaluate the privacy risks of a project, system, or initiative, helping organizations mitigate risks before they materialize.
A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is a systematic evaluation process used to identify and assess the privacy risks associated with the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information in a project, system, program, or initiative. While similar to a DPIA, the term PIA is more broadly used outside the GDPR context and may be required under other regulations such as Canada's PIPEDA or Australia's Privacy Act.
PIAs typically involve describing the information flows in the project, identifying the privacy and related risks, evaluating the risks and identifying solutions and safeguards to reduce or eliminate risks, signing off and recording the PIA outcomes, and integrating the PIA results into the project plan. PIAs should be conducted early in the project lifecycle and revisited as the project evolves. They are a key tool for implementing privacy by design.
ComplyIQ provides PIA templates and workflows that can be adapted to different regulatory requirements and organizational contexts. The PIA process integrates with DiscoverIQ data mapping capabilities to provide an accurate picture of information flows for assessment.
Relevant Regulations
How IQWorks Helps
Related Terms
Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
A Data Protection Impact Assessment is a systematic process for evaluating the potential impact of a data processing activity on individuals' privacy, required under the GDPR for processing likely to result in high risk to data subjects.
Privacy by Design
Privacy by Design is a proactive approach that embeds data protection safeguards into the design and architecture of IT systems, business practices, and products from the earliest stages of development.
Data Mapping
Data mapping is the process of identifying and documenting how personal data flows through an organization, including where it is collected, stored, processed, shared, and eventually deleted.
Privacy Program
A privacy program is a comprehensive organizational framework encompassing the policies, procedures, people, and technologies that manage an organization's data protection obligations and privacy risks.