Announced on January 29, 2024, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) unveiled a website auditing tool as part of the EDPB Support Pool of Experts (SPE) initiative. This tool, available for legal and technical auditors at data protection authorities (DPAs) and controllers and processors, assesses website compliance with legal standards. Operating as Free and Open Source Software under the EUPL 1.2 License, the tool’s source code is downloadable from code.europa.eu.

Addressing the need for accessibility, the EDPB designed this tool to simplify enforcement for national DPAs and compliance checks for controllers, distinguishing it from existing technically demanding auditing tools. Developed by an SPE expert under EDPB Secretariat supervision, the software, presented at the EDPB Bootcamp in June 2023, garnered positive feedback, leading to its refinement and release as Free and Open Source Software. A second version, featuring new functionalities, is slated for release later in the year, aligning with the EDPB’s 2021-2023 Strategy to empower DPAs through shared tools and a diverse pool of experts.

Distinctively user-friendly, the tool facilitates audit preparation, execution, and evaluation directly within the platform by visiting the target website. Compatibility with other tools, such as the EDPS website evidence collector, allows for result importation and assessment, along with report generation.

Why does this matter?

This democratizes the compliance-checking process, making it accessible to a broader audience. The tool’s open-source nature underlines transparency and collaboration in addressing data protection concerns. Simulating enforcement and compliance checks contribute to a more efficient and accessible regulatory landscape, aligning with the evolving needs of digital governance.

Another evidence that open licensing is a way to improve democracy and place people and rights at the center (see https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/eupl/discussion/how-could-open-licensing-protect-democracy-7-pillars-wisdom )

This post is widely a rediffusion of the DIGWATCH (Geneva Internet Platform) post available at: https://dig.watch/updates/edpb-unveils-website-auditing-tool-for-legal-compliance

More information at: https://edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2024/edpb-launches-website-auditing-tool_en