Batch redaction strips identifiers from a whole folder of AML files in one run. MLR 2017 reg 40 sets a five-year retention period and expects deletion at the end of it. Reg 41 confines the data to money-laundering and terrorist-financing purposes. anonym.plus processes up to 20 files at a time on your device, with a shared map so one subject maps to one alias.
When this applies
UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) is the storage-limitation rule behind that period. Art. 17(3)(b) keeps a legal duty ahead of an erasure request, so a customer cannot delete your AML record on demand. A team preparing a training library or an audit sample wants the whole set cleaned evenly.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Point anonym.plus at the folder on your machine.
- It scans each file for names, identifiers, and accounts.
- Local OCR reads any scanned pages in the set.
- A shared map keeps repeat subjects steady across files.
- Review the summary and fix low-confidence flags.
- Save the clean set locally.
What you need to provide
- A folder of files (PDF, DOCX, mixed).
- The shared label map turned on for steady results.
- An operator (Replace works well for a set).
PII & financial identifiers detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | subject across files → [SUBJECT_1] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | NINOs → [NINO] |
| Financial | UK_BANK_NUMBER | accounts → [ACCOUNT] |
| Money | MONEY | amounts → [AMOUNT] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | emails → [EMAIL] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | dates → [DATE] |
Compliance achieved
- MLR 2017 reg 40 sets five years and expects deletion after it, unless another duty applies.
- MLR 2017 reg 41 confines the data to money-laundering and terrorist-financing purposes.
- UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) is the storage-limitation rule, and Art. 17(3)(b) keeps a legal duty ahead of erasure.
- A shared map re-links the folder, so turn it off for true anonymity under DPA 2018 s.171.
- Batch up to 20 files in one local run.
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Limitations & cautions
Keep full records for the reg 40 period, and clean only library or sample copies. The shared map can re-link the set if kept, so turn it off for true anonymity. If any file is a SAR, the POCA 2002 s.333A tipping-off offence still applies.
Frequently asked questions
How does batch mode keep one subject steady?
A shared map logs each person once, so the same subject maps to the same alias in every file across the folder.
Can a customer make me delete an AML file?
No. UK GDPR Art. 17(3)(b) keeps a legal obligation ahead of an erasure request, and MLR 2017 reg 40 is that obligation for five years.
How many files can one run handle?
Up to 20 per batch, all processed locally with OCR for any scanned pages.