Most technology companies do not need to hire a full-time Data Protection Officer. They need a senior, independent DPO who is formally notified to the supervisory authority and is available when regulators, enterprise customers, or breaches demand a real answer. That is exactly what an external DPO service provides.
What you get:
- A named senior external DPO, notified to the supervisory authority where required
- EU GDPR, UK GDPR, and US state privacy laws covered in one engagement
- ROPA, data subject requests, vendor reviews, DPIAs, and around-the-clock breach response
What does an external DPO cover?
- Named DPO, notified to the supervisory authority where required.
- Record of Processing Activities (ROPA), maintained as your product changes.
- Data subject access requests (DSARs) handled end to end, to the statutory deadline.
- Vendor and DPA reviews that unblock enterprise deals and procurement.
- Breach response managed around the clock when the 72-hour clock is running.
- DPIAs for higher-risk processing, lawful-basis analysis, and board reporting.
Why "external" is the right model for most tech companies
An in-house DPO typically costs between €80,000 and €150,000 a year including salary, benefits, and overheads. For most technology companies from Seed to mid-Series B, the volume and variety of privacy work does not justify that headcount. An external DPO brings the same senior judgement at a fraction of the cost, and scales with you.
External DPOs are also better placed to maintain the independence that GDPR requires. An in-house hire who reports to the CEO or the legal team faces structural pressure that an external provider does not.
What should I look for in an external DPO provider?
The DPO role carries legal weight. When a supervisory authority contacts your DPO, or when a major enterprise customer asks a hard question in a due diligence questionnaire, the answer needs to come from someone with real experience of how regulators and procurement teams actually behave. Key criteria:
- EU-established, with details notifiable to the relevant supervisory authority.
- Senior practitioners, not account managers backed by a junior team.
- Track record across the industries and risk profiles relevant to your business.
- Responsive when the clock is running, not ticket-queue support.
Who we work with
We work with technology companies worldwide that handle EU, UK, and US personal data: SaaS, fintech, healthtech, AI, ecommerce, and others. Experience across 100+ companies including Amazon, Coinbase, and Robinhood. We are based in Amsterdam, and our plans start from €500 per month.
GDPR is lawful-basis-driven. An external DPO who understands how your product actually processes data is far more valuable than a checklist.