informationsplikt

Informationsplikt, or information obligation, refers to a legal duty to provide information to those who are affected by a decision, action, or processing of personal data, as well as to the public in certain administrative contexts. The concept is used in several areas of law, and its exact meaning can vary by jurisdiction. In practice, it denotes the obligation to convey clear, accurate, and accessible information about processes, purposes, and rights.

In the European Union, information obligations are most closely associated with data protection and privacy. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), organizations must provide data subjects with information about how their personal data is collected and used. Core elements typically include the identity of the data controller, the purposes and legal basis for processing, categories of data, recipients or transfers, retention periods, data subject rights, and contact details for the data protection officer. These requirements aim to ensure transparency and enable informed consent or lawful processing.

Public sector and transparency law also play a major role. The principle of openness (offentlighetsprincipen) in many Nordic and European countries imposes an information obligation on authorities to provide access to official documents and decisions, subject to privacy and security exemptions. This form of information obligation supports democratic accountability and citizen participation.

In practice, information notices and privacy notices must be clear and user-friendly to be effective. Challenges include balancing completeness with readability, avoiding information overload, and ensuring updates when processing practices change. Information obligations thus function as a key bridge between organizational actions and the rights of individuals and the public.