---
title: "Legitimate-interest assessment (LIA)"
description: "The documented three-step test for relying on legitimate interests: a lawful, precise and present interest; processing necessary for it; and a balance not overridden by people's rights and…"
canonical: https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/legitimate-interest-assessment-lia
author: "Jorge García Aibar"
license: "CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"
doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197
version: "0.5.0"
updated: 2026-09-24
---

# Legitimate-interest assessment (LIA)

The documented three-step test for relying on legitimate interests: a lawful, precise and present interest; processing necessary for it; and a balance not overridden by people's rights and reasonable expectations [1]. Kept as a versioned artefact that points each mitigation at the control implementing it.

- Developed in: [ch. 19, Legitimate interests and the three-step test](https://aigovernanceengineer.com/bok/privacy-and-ai#legitimate-interests-and-the-three-step-test)
- Chapters: [ch. 19, Privacy & AI](https://aigovernanceengineer.com/bok/privacy-and-ai)
- In the glossary chapter: https://aigovernanceengineer.com/bok/glossary#t-legitimate-interest-assessment-lia

## Sources

[1] Opinion 28/2024 on certain data protection aspects related to the processing of personal data in the context of AI models (three-step legitimate-interest test; anonymity test and evidence). European Data Protection Board. 2024-12-17. https://www.edpb.europa.eu/system/files/2024-12/edpb_opinion_202428_ai-models_en.pdf (verified: primary)