# GDPR Article 4 — Definitions - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-4-definitions - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr) › Articles 1–10 - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **GDPR**·Article `Article 4`·low·Component: **Chapter I: General Provisions** ## What this control requires > Ensures accurate application of GDPR definitions (e.g., personal data, processing, controller, processor, consent, pseudonymisation) to identify and manage personal data processing activities. This control addresses Glossary. > > — GDPR, Article Article 4 ### In plain English Ensures accurate application of GDPR definitions (e.g., personal data, processing, controller, processor, consent, pseudonymisation) to identify and manage personal data processing activities. In practice, this means you can prove you definitions consent-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. ## 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 I: General Provisions**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Article Article 4) 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 - **Definitions.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Data.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Processor.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **General.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** consent, controller, pseudonymisation. ## 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: Definitions. ## 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. - [**India DPDP Act 2023 DS-005** — Consent Withdrawal Mechanism](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/india-dpdp-act-2023/ds-005-consent-withdrawal-mechanism) - [**ISO/IEC 27701:2025 A.1.2.5** — Obtain & record consent](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27701-2025/a-1-2-5-obtain-record-consent) - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) P3.2** — Consent Management for Personal Information Collection](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/p3-2-consent-management-for-personal-information-collection) ## Related controls in GDPR - [**Article Article 2** — Material Scope](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-2-material-scope) - [**Article Article 6** — Lawfulness of processing](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-6-lawfulness-of-processing) - [**Article Article 7** — Conditions for consent](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-7-conditions-for-consent) - [**Article Article 1** — Subject-matter and objectives](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-1-subject-matter-and-objectives) - [**Article Article 8** — Conditions applicable to child's consent in relation to information society services](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-8-conditions-applicable-to-child-s-consent-in-relation-to-information-society) - [**Article Article 29** — Processing under the authority of the controller or processor](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-29-processing-under-the-authority-of-the-controller-or-processor) ## References - [European Union — GDPR](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj) - Catalogue identifier: `Article Article 4` Topics: governance riskpolicy managementprivacy management ## Related compliance guidance - [GDPR compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr): Start with the full GDPR implementation guide — scope, roadmap, evidence and how the assessment runs. - [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): The security management system most EU procurement teams ask for alongside a DPA; its controls supply much of the Article 32 evidence. - [India's DPDP Act 2023: a practical compliance guide for cloud teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/india-dpdp-act-2023): If engineering or support teams sit in India, the same data flows are also subject to India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act.