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Do I have to appoint a Data Protection Officer?

Mandatory for public bodies, for large-scale systematic monitoring, and for large-scale processing of special-category or criminal data.

Try this first

  1. 1Walk the three triggers in GDPR Art. 37. None hit? DPO is not mandatory, but advisable for larger SMBs.
  2. 2A DPO can be internal or external. Requirements: independent, sufficient knowledge, sufficient time. May not combine with a role that decides on processing (privacy officer is fine, head of IT is not).
  3. 3Register the DPO with the AP via their online form. That is a statutory duty.
  4. 4Give the DPO a mandate: direct line to the board, access to all processing, no sanctions for advice.
  5. 5Document when the DPO must be consulted: DPIA, breach, new tools, processor agreements.

When to bring us in

Unsure whether your processing is "large-scale" in the GDPR sense? It is a grey area the AP publishes case law on. We can help size it.

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