DPDP Data Breach Notification Compliance
How to handle a data breach under India's DPDP Act 2023 — notification timelines, who to inform, and. Talk to our experts.
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DPDP Action Sheet
Use this before your next workflow goes live. It keeps the useful parts visible and turns DPDP into checks your team can actually answer.
For DPDP Data Breach Notification Compliance, the DPDP question is how personal data enters the workflow, where it is stored, which tools touch it, what purpose was explained, and how deletion or withdrawal will work.
1. Lead Forms
Check:
- What data are you collecting?
- Is the purpose clear at the point of collection?
- Is marketing consent separate from service communication?
- Can the user withdraw consent later?
Common mistake: one checkbox that silently covers newsletters, sales calls, partner sharing and remarketing.
2. Email and WhatsApp
Check:
- Who is on the list?
- Where did consent come from?
- Is the list imported from a vendor, event, webinar, scrape or old CRM?
- Can you prove the source of consent?
Common mistake: treating every lead as permanently marketable.
3. Ads and Retargeting
Check:
- Are pixels or ad platforms receiving identifiable user behavior?
- Are audiences built from customer lists?
- Are lookalike or remarketing audiences using personal data?
Common mistake: assuming "the ad platform handles it" means your company has no DPDP responsibility.
4. Website Analytics
Check:
- Which tools run on the site?
- Are IP address, device identifiers, session IDs or form fields being captured?
- Is analytics used only for measurement, or also for profiling and targeting?
Common mistake: installing tools first and asking privacy questions later.
5. Vendor List
Make a quick list:
- CRM
- Email platform
- WhatsApp provider
- Analytics
- Ad pixels
- Form tool
- Landing page builder
- Webinar tool
For each vendor, answer: what data goes there, why, who can access it and how deletion works.
6. This Week's Action
Map one campaign from first click to final follow-up. Mark every place personal data is collected, enriched, shared, uploaded or used for targeting.
If your team cannot answer where the data came from and where it goes next, start with a data flow map before rewriting policy copy.
Book a DPDP clarity callNow think about your work. Where does personal data enter your workflows? Where does it sit? Who else touches it?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to notify the Board if the leaked data was encrypted?
Yes, DPDP requires notification for any personal data breach regardless of technical safeguards. The Board will consider the encryption strength when determining if the breach likely caused harm to individuals.
Can I use my CERT-In incident report for DPDP compliance?
No, because CERT-In focuses on the technical nature of the cyberattack. A DPDP notification must specifically list the categories of personal data affected and the steps you are taking to protect the impacted individuals.
Who should I notify first: the Board or the affected users?
You must notify both the Board and the affected individuals. In practice, notifying the Board first creates an official record of your compliance before a public announcement or user-facing notification goes live.