Henkilöhakemistoja

Henkilöhakemistoja, meaning "personal directories" or "people finders" in Finnish, refers to collections of information about individuals. Historically, these were often physical books or card catalogs containing names, addresses, and sometimes occupations. In the modern digital age, henkilöhakemistoja have largely transitioned to online databases and search engines.

These directories can serve various purposes. They might be used for genealogical research, allowing individuals to trace their family history. They can also be employed by businesses for marketing or recruitment purposes, though data privacy regulations significantly impact how this information can be accessed and used. In a broader sense, online search engines that aggregate publicly available information about individuals also function as a form of henkilöhakemistoja.

The creation and maintenance of henkilöhakemistoja raise important questions about privacy and data protection. In Finland, as in many other countries, legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) governs the collection, processing, and dissemination of personal data. Therefore, while directories of people exist, their accessibility and the extent of information they contain are often subject to legal frameworks designed to safeguard individual privacy. The term itself is less common in everyday digital parlance, having been largely replaced by more specific terms like "online search," "people search engine," or "database."