Privaatsed

Privaatsed is an Estonian adjective meaning private or privacy-related. It is used to describe things connected with privacy, confidentiality, or personal life. In everyday language it can modify nouns to indicate that something is private or restricted, for example privaatsed andmed (private data), privaatsed ruumid (private spaces), or privaatsed suhted (private relationships). The noun form privaatsus denotes privacy as a general concept.

In formal and legal contexts, Estonia follows the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The term most commonly used for personal data in legislation is isikuandmed (personal data). Therefore, although privaatsed is understood and used in non-legal discourse, legal texts tend to employ isikuandmed and phrases such as isikuandmete kaitse (protection of personal data) or privaatsuse kaitse (privacy protection) when discussing privacy matters. In product design and policymaking, expressions like privaatsus and privaatsuse kaitse appear to emphasize privacy-respecting approaches.

Origins and usage notes: The form derives from privaatsus (privacy) and the related adjective privaaatne/privaatne roots, and has long-standing use in Estonian to describe aspects of the private sphere and privacy-related concerns. While both privaatsed and isikuandmed are understood, the latter is preferred in formal and statutory language, with privaatsed more common in everyday or design-oriented contexts.

See also: isikuandmed, privaatsus, isikuandmete kaitse, privaatsuse kaitse.