Isiklik

Isiklik is an Estonian adjective meaning personal or private, used to describe things related to an individual rather than to the public sphere. It covers private life, private information, and personal attributes. The word is formed from the noun isik (person) with the adjectival suffix -lik.

Isikuandmed is the standard legal term for personal data in Estonian, while isiklik teave is a common non-legal alternative. In everyday language, isiklik is used in phrases such as isiklik elu (private life) and isiklik teave (personal information). It is often contrasted with avalik, meaning public, to distinguish between what concerns an individual and what concerns the public.

Usage and nuance: The term signals that something concerns or pertains to a person rather than to society at large. It is frequently used to describe private matters or attributes that should be kept confidential, in contrast to information that is public or widely available. In common speech, isiklik kuulub a category of things people typically keep to themselves or share only with trusted individuals.

Legal and policy context: In Estonia, personal data is protected under privacy and data protection law, aligned with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The national framework is implemented through the Andmekaitse Seadus (Data Protection Act) and overseen by the Andmekaitse Inspektsioon (Data Protection Inspectorate). Institutions must justify processing of isikuandmed, provide transparency via data notices, and obtain lawful bases such as consent or legitimate interest.