konfidentiella

Konfidentiella is an adjective used in Swedish to describe information, documents, or communications that should be kept private and only disclosed to authorized persons. The term is common in business, government, and professional settings to mark materials as not intended for public release or casual sharing.

Etymology and sense: konfidentiell derives from the Latin-rooted idea of trust and confidence, with the modern form entering Swedish via French and English influences. The word signals an obligation of discretion and a expectation that the information will be handled with care and limited access.

Usage and contexts: Konfidentiell information can appear in contracts, internal memos, project files, or communications designated as confidential. Phrases such as konfidentiell information, konfidentiella uppgifter, or konfidentiell kommunikation are used to set access restrictions within an organization. In legal and administrative work, documents labeled konfidentiell may be subject to privacy, data protection, and nondisclosure considerations.

Legal and ethical framework: Confidentiality intersects with contracts, professional ethics, and data-protection rules. Non-disclosure agreements (NDA) often establish konfidentiell behandling and penalties for disclosure. The term is distinct from terms meaning top secret or strictly classified, such as hemlig, and from legal secrecy obligations (sekretess) that limit public disclosure in certain contexts, particularly within public authorities.

Handling and protection: Managing konfidentiell information typically involves access controls, need-to-know principles, encryption, secure storage, and clear retention/destruction policies. Staff training and clear labeling help ensure appropriate handling and minimize the risk of inadvertent disclosure.

In journalism and reporting, konfidentiell välgrundad källa (confidential source) refers to sources kept anonymous, a practice supported by editorial ethics and, where applicable, legal protections.