Privacy Governance

Privacy governance is the framework of policies, procedures, roles, responsibilities, and oversight mechanisms that organizations establish to manage privacy risks, ensure compliance with privacy laws, and protect personal information throughout its lifecycle. Effective privacy governance creates accountability structures, defines decision-making authority, establishes privacy as a business priority, and embeds privacy considerations into organizational culture. Key components include board and executive oversight, designated privacy leadership (like a Chief Privacy Officer or DPO), cross-functional privacy committees, clear policies and standards, privacy training programs, vendor management processes, privacy by design integration, incident response procedures, and continuous monitoring and improvement. Privacy governance operates at three levels: strategic (board and executive oversight, privacy strategy, risk appetite), tactical (policies, procedures, risk assessments, training), and operational (day-to-day practices, controls, monitoring). Strong privacy governance aligns privacy objectives with business goals, allocates appropriate resources, establishes clear accountability, enables informed decision-making about privacy risks, and demonstrates leadership commitment. The GDPR's accountability principle requires organizations to demonstrate compliance, which necessitates robust governance. Privacy governance differs from security governance while overlapping significantly—privacy governance focuses on appropriate use of personal information, while security governance focuses on protection from unauthorized access.