Cover not available

Article In: Translation Spaces: Online-First Articles

Translators’ perceptions of privacy, confidentiality and information security

ORCiD logo with link | University of Bristol
ORCiD logo with link | University of Bristol
ORCiD logo with link | University of Bristol
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
As translators increasingly work in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered cloud-based environments, privacy and confidentiality risks affecting translation resources and their users are likely to increase. This study explores translators’ data management practices and their perceptions of privacy, confidentiality and information security. Drawing on a survey of 439 professional translators, three key concerns emerged. Firstly, translators generally prioritised client data (e.g., source texts) over their own (e.g., their resources and online activity). Secondly, translators faced challenges due to a lack of transparency regarding data storage, usage and processing, which on occasion evoked a sense of powerlessness and privacy cynicism. Thirdly, technology ownership and provision influenced translators’ perceptions. When clients provided a computer-assisted translation tool, translators tended to believe that clients were responsible for data protection. By foregrounding translators’ experiences, this study advances the understanding of how translators perceive and negotiate privacy, confidentiality and information security in an increasingly AI-mediated profession.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review and theoretical framework
    • 2.1Privacy and related concepts
    • 2.2Privacy, confidentiality and translation technologies
  • 3.Survey methodology
    • 3.1Survey scope and design
    • 3.2Data collection and analysis
    • 3.3Demographic data and translators’ profile
  • 4.Results and discussion
    • 4.1Data protection measures
    • 4.2Perceptions of privacy, confidentiality and information security
      • 4.2.1Client data over translator data
      • 4.2.2“Who is doing what and how”
      • 4.2.3AI eroding privacy boundaries
      • 4.2.4Shared responsibility for informational privacy, confidentiality and security
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Data Availability
  • References
References (42)
References
American Translators Association (ATA). 2022. Code of Ethics and Professional Practice. [URL].
Bambauer, Derek E. 2013. “Privacy Versus Security.” The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 1031: 667–683. [URL].
Bowker, Lynne. 2020. “Translation Technology and Ethics.” In The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Ethics, edited by Kaisa Koskinen and Nike K. Pokorn. Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Burgoon, Judee K. 2012. “Privacy and Communication.” In Communication Yearbook 6, edited by Michael Burgoon. Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chen, Deyan, and Hong Zhao. 2012. “Data Security and Privacy Protection Issues in Cloud Computing.” In 2012 International Conference on Computer Science and Electronics Engineering, 647–651. IEEE Computer Society. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chen, Lei, Hassan Takabi, and Nhien-An Le-Khac. 2019. Security, Privacy, and Digital Forensics in the Cloud. John Wiley & Sons. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Clarke, Roger. 1997. “Introduction to Dataveillance and Information Privacy and Definitions of Terms.” Accessed February 10, 2026. [URL].
ELIS Research. 2026. “European Language Industry Survey 2026: Trends, Expectations and Concerns of the European Language Industry.” ELIS. ELIA, EMT, EUATC, FIT Europe, GALA, LIND, Women In Localization. [URL].
European Union. 2016. Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation). Official Journal of the European Union L119: 1–88. [URL].
Finn, Rachel L., David Wright, and Michael Friedewald. 2013. “Seven Types of Privacy.” In European Data Protection: Coming of Age, edited by Serge Gutwirth, Ronald Leenes, Paul de Hert, and Yves Poullet. Springer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Francis, Leslie Pickering. 2008. “Privacy and Confidentiality: The Importance of Context.” The Monist 91 (1): 52–67. [URL].
Gavison, Ruth. 1980. “Privacy and the Limits of Law.” The Yale Law Journal 89 (3): 421–471. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Guerberof-Arenas, Ana, and Joss Moorkens. 2023. “Ethics and Machine Translation: The End User Perspective.” In Towards Responsible Machine Translation: Ethical and Legal Considerations in Machine Translation, edited by Helena Moniz and Carla Parra Escartín. Springer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hoffmann, Christian Pieter, Christoph Lutz, and Giulia Ranzini. 2024. “Inequalities in Privacy Cynicism: An Intersectional Analysis of Agency Constraints.” Big Data & Society 11 (1). .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ibdah, Diala, Noura Lachtar, S. M. Raparthi, and Anys Bacha. 2021. “Why Should I Read the Privacy Policy, I Just Need the Service”: A Study on Attitudes and Perceptions Toward Privacy Policies. IEEE Access 91: 166465–166487. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI). 2025. ITI Code of Professional Conduct. Accessed February 10, 2026. [URL].
ISO (International Organization for Standardization). 2015. Translation Services—Requirements for Translation Services. ISO Standard No. 17100:2015.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2018. Information Technology—Security Techniques—Information Security Management Systems—Overview and Vocabulary. ISO Standard No. 27000:2018.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Iyuno. n.d. “About Us” Accessed February 10, 2026. [URL].
Krippendorff, Klaus. 1989. “Content analysis.” International Encyclopedia of Communication 1 (1): 403–407.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lacruz Mantecón, Miguel L. 2023. “Authorship and Rights Ownership in the Machine Translation Era.” In Towards Responsible Machine Translation: Ethical and Legal Considerations in Machine Translation, edited by Helena Moniz and Carla Parra Escartín. Springer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Latour, Bruno. 1987. Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers Through Society. Harvard University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Moorkens, Joss. 2024. “‘I Am Not a Number’: On Quantification and Algorithmic Norms in Translation.” Perspectives 32 (3): 477–492. .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Moorkens, Joss, and Dave Lewis. 2019. “Copyright and the Re-use of Translation as Data.” In The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Technology, edited by Minako O’Hagan. Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
National Institute of Standards and Technology. 2024. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0. NIST CSWP 29. National Institute of Standards and Technology. .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nissenbaum, Helen. 2010. Privacy in Context: Technology, Policy, and the Integrity of Social Life. Stanford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ragni, Valentina, Elisa Alonso, and Lucas Nunes Vieira. 2022. “Translation Productivity: Tools, Tracking, Ethics.” Institute of Translation and Interpreting. [URL].
Rivas Ginel, María Isabel, and Joss Moorkens. 2024. “A Year of ChatGPT: Translators’ Attitudes and Degree of Adoption.” Revista Tradumàtica 221: 258–275. .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2025. “Translators’ Trust and Distrust in the Times of GenAI.” Translation Studies: 1–17. .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rossi, Caroline, and Alice Carré. 2022. “How to Choose a Suitable Neural Machine Translation Solution: Evaluation of MT Quality.” In Machine Translation for Everyone: Empowering Users in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, edited by Dorothy Kenny. Language Science Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rössler, Beate. 2018. The Value of Privacy. John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Solove, Daniel J. 2008. Understanding Privacy. Harvard University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
The Economic Times. 2024. “‘Worst Leak in Streaming History’: Hackers Disrupt Netflix’s Biggest Shows; Here’s What it Means for the Future of Streaming.” November 24. Accessed February 10, 2026. [URL].
Translated. n.d. “T-Rank™ Helps Us Find the Perfect Translator for You.” Accessed February 10, 2026. [URL].
Véliz, Carissa. 2023. The Ethics of Privacy and Surveillance. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Vieira, Lucas Nunes. 2024. “Uses of AI Translation in UK Public Service Contexts: A Preliminary Report.” Chartered Institute of Linguists. Accessed February 10, 2026. [URL].
Vieira, Lucas Nunes, Carol O’Sullivan, Xiaochun Zhang, and Minako O’Hagan. 2023. “Privacy and Everyday Users of Machine Translation.” Translation Spaces 12 (1): 21–44. .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Vieira, Lucas Nunes, Valentina Ragni, and Elisa Alonso. 2021. “Translator Autonomy in the Age of Behavioural Data.” Translation, Cognition & Behavior 4 (1): 124–146. .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Warren, Samuel D., and Louis D. Brandeis. 1890. “The Right to Privacy.” Harvard Law Review 4 (5): 193–220. .Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Westin, Alan Furman. 1967. Privacy and Freedom. Atheneum.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zetzsche, Jost. 2019. “Freelance Translators’ Perspectives.” In The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Technology, edited by Minako O’Hagan. Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zuboff, Shoshana. 2019. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. PublicAffairs.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue