The job of a Data Protection Officer (short: DPO) is to make sure that a business or organization processes personal data only according to the applicable data protection rules and regulations.
Non-compliance can cause loss of data, customer loyalty, reputation, and trigger liability of organization, executives, and officers. Therefore, it is imperative, to choose the Data Protection Officer according to their personal and professional expertise and experience in technical, legal, and organizational matters.
Typical task of the DPO are:
- creating a register of all operations withing the organization in which personal data are being processed;
- giving advice to the organization in all privacy matters, especially the interpretation of the respective regulations and how they apply to the case at hand;
- calling attention to lack of data protection compliance and helping to fix it;
- handling complaints regarding privacy issues;
- making sure all stakeholders are informed about their privacy related rights and responsibilities.