RoPA
What does RoPA mean?
RoPA stands for Record of Processing Activities. It’s a formal log required under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that documents how an organization collects, stores, uses, shares, and deletes personal data. This record helps demonstrate accountability and compliance with GDPR, particularly under Article 30.
How does RoPA work?
A RoPA functions as a structured inventory of all personal data processing activities within an organization. It typically includes:
- The purposes of processing
- Categories of individuals and personal data involved
- Recipients of the data
- Details on international data transfers
- Data retention timelines
- Security measures in place
Data controllers and processors must maintain RoPAs and make them available to supervisory authorities upon request.
FAQs about RoPA
Organizations with more than 250 employees are required to maintain a RoPA. However, smaller organizations must also do so if their processing is not occasional, involves sensitive data, or could pose risks to individuals’ rights and freedoms.
Controllers document what personal data they process, why, and who receives it. Processors log details of data processed on behalf of another organization, including the categories of processing activities.
No. They must be maintained internally and made available upon request by supervisory authorities. Regular updates are essential, especially when processing activities change.
Yes. Compliance platforms like Clym can assist businesses by providing tools to automatically generate and manage RoPAs, making the documentation process more efficient and reducing the chance of oversight.
Failure to maintain a RoPA when required is considered a violation of the GDPR’s accountability principle. This can lead to regulatory action, including fines or investigations.