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Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) — mandatory for public authorities, organizations processing special categories at scale, or systematic monitoring of individuals. Even if not mandatory, appoint a privacy lead. Document role, independence, and access to senior management.
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Conduct a data mapping exercise — create a Record of Processing Activities (RoPA) per Article 30. Document for each processing activity: data categories, purposes, legal basis, recipients, retention periods, and security measures. Update when processing changes.
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Establish lawful bases for all processing — map every processing activity to a legal basis: consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interests, public task, or legitimate interests. Document the assessment. Do not default to consent when another basis applies.
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Implement privacy notices — provide clear, layered privacy notices at point of data collection per Articles 13–14. Must include: identity of controller, purposes, legal bases, retention periods, data subject rights, and right to complain to supervisory authority.
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Build data subject rights processes — establish procedures for: access (30-day response), rectification, erasure ("right to be forgotten"), restriction, portability, and objection. Log and track all requests. Verify identity before disclosure.
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Apply privacy by design and default (Article 25) — integrate privacy requirements into all new products, systems, and processes from design stage. Default to privacy-protective settings. Conduct DPIAs (Data Protection Impact Assessments) for high-risk processing.
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Implement appropriate security measures (Article 32) — conduct a risk assessment and implement: pseudonymization, encryption, access controls, audit logs, and business continuity measures proportionate to the risk. Document all measures.
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Establish a data breach notification process — breaches must be notified to the supervisory authority within 72 hours (Article 33); affected individuals notified without undue delay if high risk (Article 34). Create a 72-hour response playbook.
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Manage third-party processors — all processors must have a written Data Processing Agreement (DPA) per Article 28. Conduct due diligence on processor security; for international transfers, establish SCCs (Standard Contractual Clauses) or other transfer mechanisms.
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Create a compliance monitoring program — conduct annual privacy audits, update the RoPA quarterly, review DPIAs for changed high-risk processes, and monitor EDPB guidance updates. Report compliance status to senior management.