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GDPR and privacy

Handle personal data lawfully, from your register and cookies to data subject requests and breaches.

GDPR and privacy

What clients ask us

What do we need to be GDPR-compliant, and where do we start?

Start by mapping what personal data you process, why, on which legal basis and who receives it. That produces your record of processing, which most organisations need and which every other step builds on. Then cover the basics: privacy notices, processor agreements, retention periods, security, and a procedure for requests and breaches. Pitch builds and maintains these registers with you in the client portal.

Someone asks for their data: what do we have to send, and by when?

You must answer within one month of receiving the request, extendable by two months for complex or numerous requests if you tell the person in time. Send a copy of the personal data plus the purposes, recipients, retention and source. Verify identity without asking for more than needed, and filter out other people's data and legally protected material. Pitch logs each request and its deadline in a request workflow.

We have a data breach: what now?

Contain it, then assess within hours whether it is likely to put people at risk. If so, notify the competent data protection authority (usually in the country of your main establishment, such as the GBA in Belgium) without undue delay and where feasible within 72 hours of becoming aware, in phases if needed. If the risk is high, tell the individuals too. Document every breach, including those you do not report. Pitch prepares the notification and a lawyer approves it.

Do we need a Data Protection Officer?

Only in three cases: you are a public authority, your core activity is regular and systematic large-scale monitoring of people, or your core activity is large-scale processing of special categories or criminal data. Many SMEs are outside these, but a voluntary DPO can still help. The DPO may be external, and the GBA must be given the contact details. Pitch offers an external DPO on a service contract.

Is our website compliant with the cookie rules?

Only strictly necessary cookies may be set without consent. Analytics, advertising and most third-party trackers need prior, informed and specific consent, given by an active choice, with rejecting as easy as accepting. A banner that sets trackers before the visitor clicks is a typical pitfall. Check what your site really loads, then align banner, cookie policy and privacy notice. Pitch can audit the technologies on your site.

Do we need a data processing agreement with our suppliers?

Yes, whenever a supplier processes personal data on your behalf, such as a cloud host, payroll provider or marketing platform. Article 28 GDPR requires a written contract covering instructions, confidentiality, security, sub-processors, assistance with requests and breaches, and deletion or return at the end. Supplier standard terms often fall short or shift risk to you. Pitch drafts and reviews these agreements.

Can we use cloud services or suppliers outside the EU?

Yes, but personal data may only leave the EEA under a valid transfer mechanism: an adequacy decision, such as the EU-US Data Privacy Framework for certified US companies, or standard contractual clauses with a documented transfer risk assessment. Remote access from a third country also counts as a transfer. Map where your suppliers and their sub-processors operate, and record it. Pitch reviews transfers in your contracts and registers.

How long may we keep personal data?

The GDPR sets no fixed period: you may keep data only as long as needed for the purpose you collected it for. Sector rules can impose minimum terms, such as accounting records, and limitation periods can justify keeping some files longer. The pitfall is keeping everything indefinitely. Define a retention period per category, record it in your register, and delete or anonymise on schedule.

When do we need to carry out a data protection impact assessment (DPIA)?

When processing is likely to result in a high risk for people, for instance large-scale profiling, systematic monitoring, large-scale use of sensitive data or new technologies such as AI-driven scoring. Each national data protection authority publishes a list of processing that requires one. Do it before you start, describe the risks and the measures, and consult the authority if a high residual risk remains. Pitch completes DPIAs with you as working records.

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