informant

An informant is a person who provides information to another party about persons, events, or activities. The information may concern criminal activity, political matters, or social conditions, and informants may disclose facts or observations from personal knowledge. Informants can operate in various contexts, including law enforcement, journalism, or academic research.

In law enforcement, a confidential informant (CI) is typically someone who shares information about criminal activity in exchange for money, leniency, or protection. CIs may be voluntary or coerced, and their information is assessed for reliability and corroborated with other evidence. The use of informants raises ethical and legal considerations, such as the risk of exploitation, coercion, false reporting, and bias, and agencies often have policies to document interactions, supervise dealings, and protect the informant’s safety and anonymity where appropriate.

Other informants include non-confidential sources, community informants, or paid sources; there are also terms such as spies or agents depending on the context. In journalism and research, informants may provide primary observations, insider perspectives, or data, with confidentiality and consent. The reliability of informants depends on motivation, opportunity for bias, and corroborating evidence; informants can reveal patterns that other methods might miss, but information must be evaluated critically.

Confidentiality, safety, and legal protections vary by jurisdiction and context. The term informant carries different connotations in legal, professional, and cultural contexts, ranging from legitimate source of information to pejorative label.