salassapito

Salassapito is a Finnish term meaning the obligation to keep information confidential. It covers duties that arise from law, employment, or contract and is used to protect sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure. The concept is applied in a variety of contexts, from professional settings to business relationships.

In professional contexts, salassapito can take the form of professional secrecy or confidentiality obligations. Medical professionals must maintain patient confidentiality; lawyers protect client information; journalists may be bound by source confidentiality. In business relationships, parties often use salassapitosopimukset (non-disclosure agreements) to safeguard trade secrets, product plans, and other sensitive data. In the public sector, certain information is classified, and individuals handling such information owe salassapitovelvollisuus to prevent disclosure unless legally permitted.

Enforcement and scope: Breaches of salassapito may lead to civil liability or, in some cases, criminal penalties, depending on the applicable statutes and the type of information involved. There are typically exceptions for disclosures required by law, disclosures in the public interest, or disclosures with the consent of the information holder. Data protection rules, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), interact with salassapito by restricting the processing of personal data and permitting disclosures only on a lawful basis.

See also: Non-disclosure agreement, professional secrecy, data protection, trade secret.