What is the difference between privacy and confidentiality?

The distinction between privacy and confidentiality is crucial in understanding how personal information is handled. Privacy concerns the concept of ownership over personal information, meaning that individuals have a right to control their personal data and determine who has access to it. It encompasses the broader aspect of personal autonomy and the extent to which someone can decide what is disclosed about themselves.

Confidentiality, on the other hand, is concerned with the obligation to protect specific information that has been shared within a trust-based relationship. This typically comes into play when information is communicated in a context such as healthcare, legal, or professional settings, where there is an expectation that such information will not be disclosed without consent.

These concepts are interrelated but serve different purposes: privacy is about one’s rights over their own information, while confidentiality focuses on the ethical duty to safeguard that information once it has been shared. This understanding helps clarify why the answer highlighting ownership in relation to privacy and communication in relation to confidentiality is accurate.