What is the role of a data controller?

The role of a data controller is fundamentally to determine how personal data will be processed and for what purposes. The data controller is the entity or person that decides the means and purposes of processing personal data. This entails making decisions about what data to collect, how it is to be used, its retention periods, and ensuring that the data is processed in compliance with relevant laws and regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Being a data controller means having responsibility for the protection of the data and the rights of individuals whose data is being processed. They must also ensure the data is collected ethically and managed in ways that protect the individuals' privacy.

Other options reflect various aspects of data handling and processing but do not specifically capture the essence of the data controller's role. For instance, while a data processor acts on behalf of the data controller, they do not make decisions about the data. Monitoring compliance with GDPR by third parties pertains to oversight roles rather than determining data processing, and developing data processing software is a technical role that does not describe the decision-making authority inherent to a data controller.