Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)

A Privacy Impact Assessment, or PIA, is a structured review used to identify and evaluate privacy risks associated with a project, system, product, or processing activity.

A PIA may examine what personal information is collected, why it is needed, how it is used, who receives it, how long it is retained, and what safeguards are in place.

The term PIA is often used broadly, while a Data Protection Impact Assessment, or DPIA, has a specific meaning and set of requirements under the GDPR.

Organizations often use PIAs as part of Privacy by Design to identify issues early and document how privacy risks have been addressed.