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All glossary terms

Privacy & data

Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs)

Privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) are technical methods designed to reduce exposure of personal or sensitive information while enabling a defined computation or use. Examples vary widely, from data separation to cryptographic techniques; no single tool removes every privacy risk.

Also known as PETs, privacy-enhancing technology.

Why it matters in practice

PETs can help teams explore designs that limit direct access to raw information, but the surrounding workflow still matters. Selection requires understanding participants, threat assumptions, output risks, and operational cost. A technique should be evaluated for the specific use rather than treated as a blanket privacy certification.

Example

Two research teams compute a combined statistic using a privacy-preserving protocol instead of exchanging each participant’s raw records.

Educational note

This definition is general information, not legal advice. It may omit facts that matter to a specific situation and does not establish or guarantee compliance.