Legitimate interest assessments
Document the purpose, necessity, and balancing tests when you rely on legitimate interests as your lawful basis.
What an LIA is for
When legitimate interests is your legal basis under privacy law, you should show you have weighed your interests against the rights of the people affected. Ghost's LIA area walks through the usual three-part test and keeps the record on a detail page with a timeline.
Impact assessments are separate (see Impact assessment overview). Open LIA from the Compliance sidebar under Assessments.
The three-part test
Click New LIA. The form has three sections:
- Purpose. What legitimate interest are you pursuing, and why is it valid?
- Necessity. Is this processing actually needed for that purpose? Are there milder options?
- Balancing. Do the individual's rights and expectations outweigh your interest? What safeguards reduce harm?
You then set an outcome (pass or fail) with optional notes. The detail page shows all three parts, the outcome badge, and audit-style events for changes.
List and detail
The LIA list matches other Compliance registers: columns for title, status, outcome, and a path into each record. Use it to see everything at a glance and open any assessment for edits or review.
Tips
- Revisit the LIA when processing changes. New categories, recipients, or purposes can flip the balancing test.
- Keep the narrative specific. Generic text is hard to defend if someone asks how you actually weighed the interests.