Encapsulation in Python is an object-oriented programming (OOP) principle that restricts direct access to an object's data and methods, ensuring controlled modification and maintaining data integrity. It is implemented using private and protected access modifiers. In Python, variables and methods prefixed with a single underscore (_variable) are considered protected, meaning they should not be accessed directly but can still be used by subclasses. Variables prefixed with double underscores (__variable) are considered private, making them inaccessible outside the class due to name mangling, which modifies the variable's name internally.
Encapsulation allows data to be accessed and modified only through getter and setter methods, ensuring better security and maintainability. For example, defining a class BankAccount with a private variable __balance ensures that the balance can only be modified using controlled methods like deposit() and withdraw(). This helps in preventing accidental or unauthorized modifications while promoting data hiding and abstraction. While Python does not enforce strict encapsulation like some other languages, following these conventions improves code structure and maintainability.