Article 24·high·Component: Chapter IV: Controller and ProcessorWhat this control requires
This control requires the controller to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure processing complies with GDPR. These measures should be regularly reviewed and updated based on processing activities and risks. The controller may also use approved codes of conduct or certification mechanisms to demonstrate compliance. This control addresses Accountability.
In plain English
This control requires the controller to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure processing complies with GDPR. In practice, this means you can prove you responsibility controller-level controls on a defined cadence.
Why it matters
GDPR administrative fines reach the greater of €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) coordinates supervisory-authority enforcement across the EU/EEA, and DPAs publish enforcement decisions citing specific Articles.
This control is rated high. Auditors expect a named owner, a remediation SLA, and a tooling artefact that evidences continuous operation.
What an auditor looks for
A DPA or privacy auditor expects: a Records of Processing Activities (RoPA) entry, a documented lawful basis, evidence the Article's data-subject right is operationalised end-to-end, a named DPO contact (where required), and Article 30 records that match what the front-end actually does.
Within Chapter IV: Controller and Processor, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Article Article 24) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles.
How to implement
Policy Management
Docs. Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA.
Operational checklist
- Responsibility. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
- Processor. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
- Codes. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
- Certification. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
- Scope: controller, conduct.
Evidence to collect
- Policy Document. A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document.
- Infra Scan. Continuous infrastructure-posture telemetry — AWS Config, Azure Policy compliance, GCP Organisation Policy, Wiz / Prisma findings.
Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Responsibility of the controller.
Common pitfalls
- Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced.
How it maps to other frameworks
Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit.
- ISO/IEC 27701:2025 A.1.2.8 — Joint PII controller
- CIS Controls v8 2.6 — Allowlist Authorized Libraries
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.5.5 — Contact with authorities
- SOC 2 (2017 TSC) CC2.3 — External Communication on Internal Control Matters
Related controls in GDPR
- Article Article 43 — Certification bodies
- Article Article 29 — Processing under the authority of the controller or processor
- Article Article 42 — Certification
- Article Article 31 — Cooperation with the supervisory authority
- Article Article 40 — Codes of conduct
- Article Article 27 — Representatives of controllers or processors not established in the Union
References
- European Union — GDPR
- Catalogue identifier:
Article Article 24
Topics: governance riskpolicy management