secrecy

Secrecy is the practice of withholding information from certain individuals or groups, or of keeping information confidential. It may be deliberate and formal, as in state or corporate governance, or informal and routine, as in personal privacy or competitive strategy. Secrecy arises from concerns about safety, security, competitive advantage, or the protection of private or sensitive information.

Practices used to maintain secrecy include classification, need-to-know access, and the use of non-disclosure agreements; technical measures such as encryption and access controls; physical security; and organizational norms that discourage disclosure. Objects of secrecy include state secrets, corporate trade secrets, confidential communications, and personal data. Information may be restricted for a limited period or indefinitely, and secrecy can be centralized under a single authority or distributed across compartments.

Secrecy has both benefits and costs. It can protect lives, national security, and business interests, yet it can undermine accountability, transparency, and trust when used to conceal wrongdoing or errors. Ethical considerations emphasize proportionality, necessity, and the existence of safe channels for reporting wrongdoing. Secrecy is often contrasted with transparency; in many contexts, some information is publicly accessible while other information remains secret for legitimate reasons, such as national security or privacy.

Legal frameworks govern secrecy, including trade secret laws and data protection regulations, and many jurisdictions maintain processes for declassification of government information. Secrecy is dynamic, evolving with technology and social norms; advances in information sharing, whistleblowing, and open data movements continually challenge established practices.