What is the term for information that cannot be disclosed without permission from the individual it concerns?

The term that best describes information that cannot be disclosed without permission from the individual it concerns is privileged communication. This concept is rooted in legal and ethical standards, especially protecting sensitive information exchanged between parties, such as attorney-client communications, doctor-patient interactions, or other professional relationships where confidentiality is expected and required.

Privileged communication serves to foster an environment of trust, encouraging individuals to share personal and sensitive information freely with their healthcare providers or legal advisors, knowing that this information will be kept confidential and cannot be disclosed to others without their explicit consent. This principle is crucial in various professional settings, particularly in healthcare, where patient privacy is governed by laws such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

While confidential information may also describe sensitive data that is meant to be kept secret, the term privileged communication carries a more specific legal weight, denoting that there are protections against compelled disclosure based on the relationship between the parties involved.

In contrast, public disclosure involves sharing information freely with the public; classified data refers to information designated as sensitive by government standards; and confidential information, while it indicates sensitivity, does not inherently encompass the legal protections that privileged communication provides.