behandlere

Behandlere is a Danish and Norwegian term that generally means "one who treats" or "one who processes" and is used in several related contexts. In everyday usage it often refers to a person who provides treatment or care, such as a healthcare professional, and the plural behandlere denotes multiple such professionals (for example doctors, nurses, therapists) in medical settings or clinical documentation.

In the context of data protection and information technology, behandler is a specific legal term meaning a data processor—an entity that processes personal data on behalf of a data controller. Under European Union data protection rules and national implementations, behandlere are expected to act only on documented instructions from the controller, implement appropriate technical and organizational safeguards, and assist the controller with data subject rights, security, and breach notification. The relationship is typically governed by a contract that outlines processing purposes, scope, and responsibilities. The data controller determines the purposes and means of processing, while the behandler carries out processing on those instructions.

In computing more generally, behandler can occasionally refer to a software component that handles events or data, similar to the English term "handler." However, this usage is more technical and context-dependent and is not as common as the healthcare or data-processing senses.

Etymology: the term stems from behandle, meaning to deal with or process, and its meanings vary by jurisdiction and context. See also behandling (treatment or processing), data controller, data processor, GDPR, and databeskyttelsesloven.