A "blind certificate," also known as a confidentiality agreement, privacy certificate, or non-disclosure agreement (NDA), is a legal document that establishes a contractual obligation of secrecy between two parties. It is used to protect confidential information and trade secrets that may be shared between the parties during a business transaction, such as a merger or acquisition. Other synonyms for the term include secrecy agreement, proprietary information agreement, confidentiality statement, and privacy policy. In essence, any document that requires the withholding of certain information from outside parties can be considered a "blind certificate" or one of its various synonyms.