Definitions #
A person appointed by an organization to ensure that personal data is processed lawfully and to act as a point of contact for data subjects and regulators.
Technical A mandatory role under GDPR (and similar laws) for certain controllers or processors, responsible for monitoring compliance, advising on data protection impact assessments, and cooperating with supervisory authorities.
Example The data protection officer filed the breach notification with the supervisory authority after the ransomware incident.
Etymology #
Modern compound term created in EU data protection regulations (GDPR, 2016), combining the concepts of data protection with officer as a designated official.
Collocations #
- appoint a DPO 任命数据保护官（特定机构必须任命）
- DPO contact details 数据保护官的联系方式（需向监管机构报备）
- independent DPO 独立的数据保护官，不受内部指令干涉
Real Business Examples #
- The data protection officer advised the company to conduct a data protection impact assessment before processing health data.
- In case of a personal data breach, the DPO must be informed immediately to assess the risk to individuals.
Register & Variants #
- Register: formal
- BrE/AmE: 全球通用，常缩写为 DPO
Synonyms & Antonyms #
- Synonyms: privacy officer, data privacy officer
Common Errors #
- 将 DPO 的职责与律师或 IT 安全员混同 DPO 的法定职责是监督合规、提供建议、与监管机构沟通，并非代替安全团队
- 认为所有公司都必须设 DPO GDPR 要求核心业务涉及大规模监控或特殊数据时须设；其他情况非强制
Confusable Terms #
- Compliance Officer vs Data Protection Officer
- Compliance Officer 负责所有合规事务（金融、反洗钱等），DPO 专门处理个人数据保护合规
Frequently Asked Questions
DPO 可以外包吗?
可以，GDPR 允许基于服务合同外包 DPO，但需确保能独立履行职责
DPO 需要什么资质?
通常应具备法律或 IT 专业知识，但法律法规未规定固定认证
小公司必须设 DPO 吗?
只有符合 GDPR 第 37 条条件的组织才必须；处理活动非常规且规模不大可豁免