Publishing and sharing research data may involve the rights and interests of third parties. In order to publish and share those data properly, members of the science community (be they information officers or researchers) ought to check if such a disclosure is lawful and ethical: it may be necessary to ask and obtain the consent of a person; other instances require that technical and organisational measures be taken to limit any damage to these people's rights. One will follow a proper method to analyse and qualify a situation, from a legal and ethical point of view. It is also useful to be aware of specific points of law (respective value of law and consent, how to choose between two national legislations when they are both eligible).