Confidential information is not necessarily anonymous, but it is protected to the best of the oral historian’s ability. This means that the information provided during the interview will not be willingly disclosed to others by the oral historian, or any archival repository partner, for an agreed-upon period of time (including indefinitely). This may require specific data security procedures to ensure that the information cannot be accessed, except by the oral historian or other authorized parties. Narrators should feel empowered to ask about security measures that may be employed during and after the oral history project. Note that oral historians and archives do not have any special legal privileges or protections to withhold information about criminal activity. In the event of a subpoena they would be obligated to turn over any records or information in their possession.
