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What is BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2025 – Privacy Information Management Systems about?
BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2025 is an international standard that establishes requirements and provides guidance for implementing a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). It is designed to help organisations manage privacy risks related to the processing of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and to support compliance with global privacy regulations, including the GDPR, CCPA, and similar laws across jurisdictions.
Unlike its predecessor (ISO/IEC 27701:2019), which was dependant on ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002, this 2025 edition is a fully stand-alone management system standard. This enhances accessibility for organisations not already certified to ISO/IEC 27001 and expands its application across sectors.
Who is BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2025 - Privacy Information management systems for?
This standard is designed for a wide spectrum of stakeholders involved in data privacy and security:
- PII Controllers and Processors, including subcontractors.
- Organisations of all sizes and sectors, globally.
- Privacy Officers, DPOs, and Legal Teams.
- IT Security and Compliance Professionals.
- Executive Leadership and C-Suite.
- Certification Bodies.
- Multinational corporations handling cross-border data flows.
- Cloud service providers.
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AI Solution providers.
What does BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2025 – Privacy Information Management Systems cover?
BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2025 outlines a comprehensive framework for managing privacy risks through the implementation of a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS). It helps organisations securely process Personally Identifiable Information (PII), comply with global regulations like GDPR and CCPA, and maintain transparency with stakeholders.
The standard defines clear roles and responsibilities for PII controllers and processors, promoting accountability in data handling. It supports a risk-based approach by guiding organisations to assess privacy risks and apply appropriate controls based on their context and needs.
The new standard consolidates existing privacy and security controls for PII controllers and processors into a clearer annex structure. The standard includes normative guidance in Annex B, and detailed mappings to GDPR, ISO/IEC 29100, and other relevant privacy frameworks, ensuring global applicability.
Why should you use BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2025 – Privacy Information Management Systems?
BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2025 is beneficial because it:
- Now a fully stand-alone standard, independent of ISO/IEC 27001/27002.
- Consolidates existing privacy and security controls for PII controllers and processors into a single, clearer structure.
- Annex A restructured to support stand-alone implementation.
- Annex B provides implementation guidance.
- Certification now possible without extending ISO/IEC 27001.
- Risk-based approach reinforced through privacy risk assessment alignment.
- Simplifies compliance with global data protection laws like GDPR and CCPA.
- Promotes accountability by clearly defining roles for PII controllers and processors.
- Builds stakeholder trust through transparent and auditable privacy practices.
- Enables organisations to manage cross-border data flows with confidence.
- Provides flexibility to adapt to different legal, regulatory, and industry requirements.
What’s changed?
The updated BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2025 supersedes BS EN ISO/IEC 27701:2021. The 2025 revision introduces key enhancements that make the standard more practical, accessible, and aligned with evolving privacy needs:
- The standard is now a fully stand-alone Privacy Information Management System (PIMS), no longer dependent on ISO/IEC 27001 or ISO/IEC 27002.
- It offers broader applicability for organisations regardless of their existing management systems.
- It allows organisations to certify independently without ISO/IEC 27001 certification as a prerequisite.
- Enhanced guidance is provided for both PII controllers and processors across various sectors.
- Applicability to modern environments (e.g. cloud services) is reinforced.
- A risk-based approach is emphasised, encouraging tailored privacy risk assessments and treatments
- Annex A has been updated and restructured, consolidating controller, processor, and common security considerations in a single location.
- Annex B now provides implementation guidance for each control.
- The standard includes improved mappings to global frameworks and regulations like GDPR.
- Roles and responsibilities are more clearly defined to improve accountability in privacy governance.
