Service 06
Launching something new that touches personal data? A PIA identifies privacy risks before they become compliance failures, enforcement actions, or breach incidents — when fixing them is still cheap.
Why Before, Not After
Retrofitting privacy controls into a live product costs five to ten times more than building them in from the start. Every line of code you ship without a privacy review is technical debt with a compliance interest rate. A PIA done before launch gives you a clean record of accountability and the ability to tell regulators, partners, and customers that privacy was a design input — not an afterthought.
Required under the Colorado Privacy Act and Texas Data Privacy and Security Act for certain processing activities. Treated as evidence of accountability under California's CPRA. Increasingly required by enterprise partners and investors as a condition of doing business.
Engagement Summary
When You Need This
New Product or Feature
Any new product or feature that collects, processes, or shares personal data — including mobile apps, web platforms, and internal tools.
AI or Automated Decisions
Using AI to make or influence decisions about people — pricing, eligibility, content, scoring. Required under Colorado, Texas, and pending federal rules.
New Data Use or Sharing
Starting to share data with a new partner, use data for a new purpose, or expand a dataset. Each new use creates new risk and potentially new legal obligations.
Cloud Migration or System Change
Moving data to new infrastructure, changing how data is stored or accessed, or integrating new platforms into an existing data flow.
M&A or Acquisition
Due diligence before acquiring or being acquired by another company. Identifies inherited privacy liabilities before they become your responsibility.
Investor or Partner Request
Enterprise partners, investors, and customers increasingly require documented PIAs as a condition of doing business. This gives you that documentation.
What You Receive
Data Flow Mapping
A precise map of how personal data flows through the initiative — what is collected, where it goes, who touches it, and how long it is retained. The foundation for every other assessment in the PIA.
Legal Basis Assessment
Determination of the legal basis for each processing activity under applicable US state laws. Identifies activities that lack a compliant legal basis before they are built and launched.
Risk Register
A structured register of identified privacy risks, each scored by likelihood and impact. Prioritized so you know what to fix first and what can reasonably wait.
Compliance Gap Analysis
Review of the initiative against applicable consent, disclosure, data minimization, and retention requirements. Flags what needs to change before launch — specifically and concretely.
Recommended Mitigations
Specific, actionable recommendations to reduce identified risks. Each mitigation is tied to a specific gap with implementation guidance your engineering or product team can act on.
Written PIA Report
A formal, written Privacy Impact Assessment document — acceptable for investor due diligence, partner requests, and as evidence of good-faith accountability in regulatory inquiries.
Common Questions
When in the product development process should we do this?
Ideally before development begins — or at least before launch. The earlier in the process, the cheaper the fixes. A PIA done after launch is still better than no PIA, but any required changes will be more costly to implement in a live system.
Is a PIA legally required?
Under the Colorado Privacy Act and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, PIAs are required for certain types of processing — including processing sensitive data, profiling, and using personal data for targeted advertising. California treats PIAs as evidence of accountability. Several others have similar provisions. We confirm which requirements apply to your specific initiative during discovery.
Can the PIA report be shared with investors or enterprise clients?
Yes. The written PIA report is structured to be readable and credible for those audiences. It is not a legal opinion, but it is a documented assessment of how privacy was considered in the design of the initiative.
What if we are mid-development?
A PIA mid-development is better than no PIA at all. We assess the current state of the initiative, identify what has already been built that may need to change, and give you recommendations that are actionable within your current development cycle.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call — we will scope the PIA to your specific initiative and timeline.