How to Conduct a DPIA

A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is a structured review of the privacy risk of a processing activity, and how you’ll reduce it. It’s required for high-risk processing under the GDPR and is a duty of Significant Data Fiduciaries under the DPDPA.

When you need one

Large-scale or systematic processing, sensitive or children’s data, new technologies, profiling, or anything likely to result in high risk to individuals.

Step by step

1. Describe the processing: purpose, data, data subjects, recipients, retention.
2. Assess necessity & proportionality — is there a less intrusive way?
3. Identify risks to individuals (e.g. re-identification, discrimination, loss).
4. Define mitigations for each risk and the residual risk.
5. Record the outcome and get sign-off; review periodically.

Make it repeatable

Use a consistent template so DPIAs are comparable and auditable, and link them to the controls that implement the mitigations.