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Ask HN: Are NDAs Just Security Theater?

by webhat on 8/20/15, 10:15 AM with 11 comments

For the past couple of years I've felt NDAs are a form of security theater. They create the illusion of safety, and don't actually make you any safer.

An NDA won't stop anybody from disclosing information, and only regulate the aftermath.

Personally I don't sign NDAs, and was wondering if you generally do sign an NDA? And why, if you ask for somebody to sign an NDA, you do?

by jseeff on 8/20/15, 7:51 PM
1) NDA may stop someone from disclosing information.... it may not, but it may. That has a degree of value and the document is generally pretty short and simple to understand so not too problematic.
2) for the same reason many people will not sign an NDA (trust, hassle) you may want them to- trust, commitment.
3) even if an NDA only serves to regulate "the aftermath", that too can have value, especially in the rare but possible cases of mis-use of information e.g. by a competitor...
by markbarrington on 8/20/15, 7:25 PM
Many companies where I have worked typically ask potential suppliers to sign NDAs because they don't want details of future product plans either being made public or, more likely, discussed in the industry.
by tmuir on 8/20/15, 10:59 PM
Isn't it the policy of most tech companies to force all new employees to sign an NDA as a condition of employment?
by ColinWright on 8/20/15, 10:39 AM
Some previous discussions you might find useful and/or relevant. There are many, many more, some of which you can find through this search:
https://hn.algolia.com/?query=sign%20nda&sort=byPopularity&p...
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7158091
```
    Why I Won't Sign Your NDA (svbtle) (ryanckulp.com)
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7160262
```
    Show HN: Why sign a NDA when you can just
             pinky swear instead?
             (pinky-swear.herokuapp.com)
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7234094
```
    Why I Won't Sign Your NDA (medium.com)
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7587687
```
    When startups should sign non disclosure
    agreements (startacus.net)
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7604500
```
    Don't ask me to sign your NDA (medium.com)
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7731724
```
    Should freelancers in gamedev industry
    sign NDAs? (t-machine.org)
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7933163
```
    Why I Won't Sign Your NDA (landonschropp.com)
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8169957
```
    Ask HN: Would you sign an NDA?
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8284681
```
    Why You Shouldn't Ask Us to Sign Your NDA
    (atomicobject.com)
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9172583
```
    Ask HN: A potential investor in my startup
            asked me to sign an NDA. Should I?
```
========
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9195949
```
    Ask HN: What does it mean to sign NDA?
```