In plain English
There are usually two main sides in a relationship or transaction. This term points to someone else outside those two sides. In data-sharing contexts, it often means the outside person or organization that receives data from one of the main sides.
In context
Here, "third party" names an outside person or organization in the data-sharing relationship that is not one of the two main parties and may be the one receiving data from one of them.
- Situation
- Understanding encryption, privacy, data-sharing, and secure-connection labels
- What it communicates
- names an outside organization in the data-sharing relationship
Meaning limits
The term alone does not say whether any data is actually shared with that outside party or under what conditions.
Examples
“After the patient gave her address to the clinic, the clinic disclosed it to a third party.”
“In the sale, the delivery company was a third party that had received the buyer's phone number from the seller.”