---
title: "What records should we keep for a PIPL impact assessment?"
canonical_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-records-should-we-keep-for-a-pipl-impact-assessment"
source_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-records-should-we-keep-for-a-pipl-impact-assessment"
author: "Sorena AI"
description: "A PIPL impact-assessment file should preserve the Article 55 trigger, processing facts, Article 56 analysis, safeguards, decision, and processing record for at least three years."
published_at: "2026-07-05"
updated_at: "2026-07-24"
keywords:
  - "China PIPL"
  - "Personal Information Protection Law"
  - "Data export"
  - "Standard contract"
  - "App privacy"
---
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---

# What records should we keep for a PIPL impact assessment?

A PIPL impact-assessment file should preserve the Article 55 trigger, processing facts, Article 56 analysis, safeguards, decision, and processing record for at least three years.

*Question* *China*

## What records should we keep for a PIPL impact assessment? Direct answer

Keep the PIPIA report and the record of the assessed processing for at least three years. The file should connect the Article 55 trigger and actual processing facts to each Article 56 conclusion.

PIPL prescribes the assessment topics and retention period, but not a single official report format, score, or approval workflow.

PIPL has applied since November 1, 2021. Keep the PIPIA report and the record of the assessed processing for at least three years. The file should identify why Article 55 applies, describe the real processing, assess every Article 56 topic, record the safeguards and decision, and show when a change requires a new assessment.

## Definitions

### Personal information protection impact assessment

**Term:** PIPIA

A PIPIA is the prior assessment PIPL requires for sensitive-personal-information processing, automated decision-making, entrusted processing, provision to another processor, public disclosure, provision outside China, and other processing with a major effect on personal rights and interests. It examines whether the purpose and method are lawful, legitimate, and necessary; the effects and security risks; and whether the safeguards are lawful, effective, and proportionate to the risk.

**Why it matters here:** The processor must complete the assessment before the triggering processing begins and keep both the assessment report and the processing record for at least three years. Export routes can add more detailed assessment topics and filing materials.

Sources:

- [PRC Personal Information Protection Law, Articles 55-56](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-08/20/c_1631050028355286.htm?ref=sorena.io)

## Start with the trigger and actual processing

Complete a PIPIA before processing sensitive personal information; using personal information for automated decision-making; entrusting processing; providing personal information to another processor; publicly disclosing it; providing it outside China; or carrying out another activity with a major effect on personal rights and interests.

Identify the system, business owner, processor role, people concerned, purpose, Article 13 basis, collection source, information categories, processing methods, recipients, locations, retention, deletion, rights handling, and security controls. The assessment should describe the intended operation, not only repeat a privacy notice or contract.

- Scope record: assessment identifier, Article 55 trigger, systems and versions, owner, participating teams, decision date, and processing start date.
- Data map: information fields and inferences, sensitive or child data, sources, people, volumes where relevant, recipients, entrusted parties, overseas locations, access paths, retention, and deletion.
- Rule analysis: Article 13 basis, notices, consent or separate-consent requirement, necessity, minimization, individual rights, and any export-route dependency.
- Change control: facts that require review, including a new purpose, method, information category, recipient, country, retention period, automated-decision use, or material risk.

Sources for this answer:

- [PRC Personal Information Protection Law](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-08/20/c_1631050028355286.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Articles 55-56 identify every PIPIA trigger, the three required assessment topics, and the minimum three-year retention period.
- [Measures for the Standard Contract for Personal Information Export](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2023-02/24/c_1678884830036813.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Article 5 adds export-specific PIPIA topics for the standard-contract route, including scale, sensitivity, overseas-recipient safeguards, rights channels, and the recipient country's legal environment.
- [Measures for Security Assessment of Data Export](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2022-07/07/c_1658811536396503.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Articles 5-6 identify the separate data-export risk self-assessment and application materials when a CAC security assessment is required.

## Record the Article 56 analysis and decision

Article 56 requires three conclusions: whether the purpose and method are lawful, legitimate, and necessary; the effect on personal rights and interests and the security risks; and whether the safeguards are lawful, effective, and proportionate to the risk. Show the facts, evidence, and reasoning behind each conclusion.

PIPL requires retention of the assessment report and processing record. It does not prescribe a universal template, risk matrix, named approver, mandatory report length, or retention rule for every supporting input. Use the organization's governance process, but label internal scoring, evidence attachments, sign-off fields, and any longer retention period as organizational controls rather than Article 56 requirements.

- Legality, legitimacy, and necessity: source provisions, purpose, basis, less intrusive alternatives, minimum information, and shortest necessary retention.
- Effects and risks: plausible misuse, leakage, unauthorized access, discrimination, loss of control, rights barriers, and severity and likelihood using the organization's defined method.
- Safeguards: contractual, organizational, and technical measures; responsible owner; implementation status; test or review evidence; and why the measures match the risk.
- Outcome: approved scope, conditions before launch, unresolved issues, risk acceptance under internal governance, reassessment triggers, and links to the processing record and implemented controls.
- Retention: preserve the PIPIA report and processing record for at least three years. Sorena recommends keeping material inputs, approvals, and control evidence with that file so a reviewer can reconstruct the decision; a longer period may follow from another applicable rule or the processing lifecycle.

Sources for this answer:

- [PRC Personal Information Protection Law](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-08/20/c_1631050028355286.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Article 56 supplies the mandatory assessment content and requires the assessment report and processing record to be kept for at least three years.
- [Measures for the Standard Contract for Personal Information Export](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2023-02/24/c_1678884830036813.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Articles 5, 7, and 8 support the additional export assessment content, filing of the report with the contract, and reassessment when specified facts change.
- [Measures for Security Assessment of Data Export](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2022-07/07/c_1658811536396503.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Use only when the export also triggers the CAC security-assessment route; its risk self-assessment is a separate, more detailed submission record.

## Primary sources

- [PRC Personal Information Protection Law](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-08/20/c_1631050028355286.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Binding source for PIPIA triggers, required analysis, processing records, and the minimum three-year retention period.
- [Measures for the Standard Contract for Personal Information Export](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2023-02/24/c_1678884830036813.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Binding source for the additional PIPIA content, filing, and reassessment duties when using the personal-information export standard contract.
- [Measures for Security Assessment of Data Export](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2022-07/07/c_1658811536396503.htm?ref=sorena.io) - Binding source for the separate risk self-assessment and submission materials required for a CAC data export security assessment.

## Topic Guides

- [App minimum necessary personal information by category](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/app-minimum-necessary-personal-information-by-category.md): App category mapping page for common mobile app necessary personal information scope, using only categories supported by the official source.
- [China app personal information minimization](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/app-personal-information-minimization.md): How to map app category, basic functions, and necessary personal information under China mobile app personal-information rules.
- [China data export security assessment workflow](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/data-export-security-assessment-workflow.md): Workflow for screening data export security assessment triggers, materials, owners, and evidence records.
- [China personal information cross-border transfer routes](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/cross-border-transfer-routes.md): Compare China's current data-export exemptions, CAC security assessment, standard contract, and personal information protection certification routes.
- [China personal information standard contract filing workflow](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/standard-contract-filing-workflow.md): Workflow for the PIPL standard contract route, assessment, filing package, and cited evidence.
- [China PIPL compliance checklist](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/checklist.md): China PIPL compliance checklist covering scope, processing bases, notices, sensitive information, rights, vendors, impact assessments, incidents, and exports.
- [China PIPL deadlines and compliance calendar](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/deadlines-and-compliance-calendar.md): Calendar China PIPL effective dates, recurring audits, privacy-officer reporting, impact-assessment retention, and data export filing and renewal deadlines.
- [China PIPL penalties and enforcement exposure](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/penalties-and-fines.md): Understand PIPL corrective orders, serious-violation fines, responsible-person exposure, civil claims, public-interest actions, and data export enforcement.
- [China PIPL privacy notice and consent checklist](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/privacy-policy-and-consent-checklist.md): China PIPL checklist for privacy notices, valid consent, separate consent, sensitive information, children under 14, withdrawal, and rights requests.
- [China PIPL requirements](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/requirements.md): China PIPL requirements from scope and processing basis through notices, rights, security, impact assessments, incidents, vendors, and data exports.
- [China PIPL vs CCPA/CPRA: Requirements Compared](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/china-pipl-vs-ccpa-cpra.md): Compare PIPL and CCPA/CPRA scope, consent and opt-out rules, rights, assessments, data exports, breach duties, and penalties.
- [China PIPL vs EU GDPR: Requirements Compared](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/china-privacy-law-vs-gdpr.md): Compare PIPL and GDPR scope, roles, legal bases, rights, impact assessments, breach deadlines, international transfers, and penalties.
- [China PIPL vs Singapore PDPA: Requirements Compared](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/china-privacy-law-vs-singapore-pdpa.md): Compare PIPL and Singapore PDPA scope, roles, consent alternatives, rights, breach duties, overseas transfers, and penalties.
- [China Privacy Law FAQ](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq.md): Practical answers on China's PIPL: scope, legal bases, sensitive information, separate consent, vendors, PIPIA records, app minimization, and export routes.
- [How should vendor contracts handle entrusted processing under PIPL?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/how-should-vendor-contracts-handle-entrusted-processing.md): A PIPL entrusted-processing contract must define the purpose, duration, method, personal-information categories, safeguards, and both parties' duties. See the required terms and supporting records.
- [Is PIPL the same as GDPR?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/is-pipl-the-same-as-gdpr.md): No. China's PIPL and the EU GDPR overlap on core privacy controls, but differ in territorial scope, legal bases, roles, sensitive data, impact assessments, and transfer routes.
- [PIPL automated decision-making and personalized recommendations](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/automated-decision-making-and-personalized-recommendations.md): PIPL checks for automated decisions, personalized recommendations, marketing, differential treatment, explanations, refusal rights, and impact assessments.
- [PIPL breach response and notification](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/breach-response-and-notification.md): PIPL incident workflow for immediate remediation, authority and individual notices, the narrow individual-notice exception, vendor coordination, and evidence.
- [PIPL cross-border transfer route selector](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/pipl-cross-border-transfer-route-selector.md): Step-by-step selector for China's data-export exemptions, CAC security assessment, standard contract, and personal information protection certification.
- [PIPL entrusted processing and vendor contracts](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/entrusted-processing-and-vendor-contracts.md): How to document entrusted processing, vendor responsibilities, contract controls, and evidence under PIPL.
- [PIPL impact assessment template](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/personal-information-protection-impact-assessment-template.md): Template fields for a China personal information protection impact assessment and export/entrusted-processing evidence.
- [Sensitive personal information and separate consent under PIPL](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/sensitive-personal-information-and-separate-consent.md): How to identify sensitive PI triggers, separate consent, minors, additional safeguards, and evidence records.
- [What counts as sensitive personal information in China?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-counts-as-sensitive-personal-information-in-china.md): PIPL uses a harm-based test for sensitive personal information and lists examples such as biometrics, health, financial accounts, location traces, and all personal information of children under 14.
- [What is separate consent under PIPL?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-is-separate-consent-under-pipl.md): Separate consent under China's PIPL is a distinct consent for a specified processing activity. See when it applies, what notice must come first, and what evidence to keep.
- [What should an app collect as necessary personal information in China?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/what-should-an-app-collect-as-necessary-personal-information.md): Match the app's basic function to China's 2021 rules and collect no more than the listed necessary personal information. Users must retain the basic function if they decline non-necessary data.
- [When can a company use the China standard contract route?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/when-can-a-company-use-the-china-standard-contract-route.md): Use China's standard contract route only after applying the 2024 exemptions and confirming that no CAC security assessment is required. See current thresholds, filing steps, and change triggers.
- [When does a China PIPL security assessment apply?](/artifacts/apac/china-privacy-law/faq/when-does-a-china-pipl-security-assessment-apply.md): A CAC data export security assessment applies to CIIO exports, important data, and specified high-volume personal-information exports after the 2024 exemptions are applied.

*Operationalize the requirement*

*Placement: Before primary sources*

## Prepare the PIPL and data export evidence file

Sorena AI helps turn the answer to "What records should we keep for a PIPL impact assessment?" into assigned controls and retained evidence.

- [Map official sources to evidence](/solutions/research-copilot.md): Research Copilot connects the official citation, decision, owner, retained evidence, and change history.
- [Review the China route](/contact.md): Check the China Privacy Law scope decision and unresolved launch questions with Sorena.


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