wellhidden

Wellhidden is a term used in privacy engineering and human–computer interaction to describe design practices and technologies that keep certain information, features, or capabilities hidden from casual observers while remaining accessible to authorized users. The goal is to reduce exposure while preserving legitimate usability.

The term is a broad, informal concept rather than a single product or standard. It appears in discussions about privacy by design, secure-by-default configurations, and stealth interfaces where sensitive controls are hidden behind credentials, context, or progressive disclosure.

Techniques commonly associated with wellhidden include layered access controls (context-aware authentication and role-based access), need-to-know display, decoy or generic interfaces, and data minimization. In practice, this can also involve encryption at rest, tokenization, and secure enclaves that protect data while allowing authorized processing.

Applications can be found in software platforms offering privacy-preserving modes, enterprise dashboards with hidden advanced controls for administrators, and hardware devices that conceal sensitive sensors until activated.

Criticism includes concerns about reduced transparency, governance gaps, and auditability if essential controls are not discoverable. Proponents argue that wellhidden, when applied judiciously, reduces data exposure and supports privacy and security goals.

See also: privacy by design, security by obscurity, obfuscation, stealth technology, feature toggles.