How it works in a data room
A seller planning to share large volumes of personal data, sensitive categories such as health records or new technology like AI analysis of employee files may need a DPIA before the room opens. The assessment describes what data goes in, who sees it, how long it stays, which safeguards apply and what risks remain. Data room controls such as staged release, redaction, view-only access, logging and short retention are usually listed as mitigations. The provider’s security documentation often feeds directly into it.
Why it matters in a deal
Where a DPIA is required and skipped, the seller is exposed under the GDPR even if nothing goes wrong. Doing one also improves the process: it forces the team to decide in advance what personal data each stage needs. Many deals do not meet the threshold, but transactions involving patient data, large workforces or AI tools often do. Check guidance from your national supervisory authority.
Example
A Dutch hospital group selling a diagnostics unit plans to let bidders run AI summaries across contracts that include clinician details. Its privacy officer prepares a DPIA, concludes that clinician names should be pseudonymized and AI processing kept in the EU, and signs it off before access is granted. The Netherlands guide covers local context.