Online Privacy Impact Assessment

An Online Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is a systematic process for identifying, evaluating, and mitigating the privacy risks and impacts of an online system, service, or product. The assessment typically involves a comprehensive analysis of the data flows, storage, and processing activities of the system, as well as the legal, technical, and organizational measures in place to protect the privacy and security of the personal data involved. The assessment may also consider the potential benefits and harms of the system to individuals and society, and the alignment of the system with privacy principles and best practices, such as data minimization, purpose limitation, and user control. The purpose of an Online PIA is to help organizations proactively identify and address privacy issues and vulnerabilities, and to demonstrate their commitment to privacy and data protection to regulators, customers, and other stakeholders. Online PIAs are often required by law or recommended by industry standards, such as the GDPR or the NIST Privacy Framework, and may be conducted by internal or external privacy experts, with input from various stakeholders, such as IT, legal, and business teams. These assessments are an important tool for privacy risk management and compliance, and can help organizations build trust and accountability in their online operations and innovations.