this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2025
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Explain Like I'm Five

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In stories, especially creepypasta, its sounds more like a magical contract than a piece of paper

Like if a private organisation hired you to kill people, a NDA doesn't somehow make that legal and you can't get sued for breaking the contract.

So, what is the legal extent of NDA?

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[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

If a private company hired you to kill people...

... and you broke their NDA...

... they will hire someone to kill you.


I get what you're trying to ask, but oh boy have you picked a silly example.

Long story short: Uh, basically you have to sue or be sued, to find out how enforceable an NDA actually is or isnt.

But:

Big company have money.

You? Not have as much money.

NDAs are mostly effective tools of stifling speech by way of intimidation, not by way of legal legitimacy.

Sure, I'm sure many scenarios exist where a clause of an NDA is enforceable if you violate it... but there are so many different possible laws and jurisdictions that come into play... you'd have to be a lot more specific.

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 35 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

As with everything law related. It depends.

They are inforced arbitrarily and from ones I have seen suppliers use they are meant to protect trade secrets like sub part numbers or things being developed.

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 11 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Can you give more specifics please? Which sub part numbers and things being developed?

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 33 points 22 hours ago

Nice try, our direct competitor

[–] moody@lemmings.world 7 points 17 hours ago

I work for a company that uses NDAs, though I am not under one. Some of the things covered are our designs, our suppliers, and the names of our customers.

[–] kn33@lemmy.world 22 points 22 hours ago

The law overrides contacts, so if it's something illegal, you can't sue someone for breaking it if they testify in court with something covered by the NDA. You pretty much got that part.

That being said, the only other thing is that there has to be "consideration" - so you have to get something in exchange for agreeing to keep quiet.

Beyond that, there isn't much holding back an NDA.

[–] Talos@sopuli.xyz 18 points 21 hours ago

I may or may not be a lawyer, but if I am, I am not your lawyer and this comment is for entertainment purposes only.

At the core, a non disclosure agreement (NDA) just means you agree to keep your mouth shut about something, often in exchange for hearing about an investment idea or as part of a legal settlement.

Like most contracts, the consequences to the breaker are going to be no more than the actual damages to the other side.

So how much money did it cost them? Or the money value of the reputational harm? That’s probably the most you would be on the hook for. Unless the contract itself enumerates the amount of the “damage” for a breach, but whether they can actually enforce that is a can of worms.

[–] 200ok@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago

I'm guessing it depends on who can afford better lawyers