A counter log is collected to run a branch, and reused to study one. UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(b) limits that reuse: information gathered for one purpose may be used for another only where the second is compatible with the first. Art. 5(1)(e) limits how long the rows may sit. The same rows feed the ongoing monitoring MLR 2017 reg. 28 requires across a business relationship, and reg. 40 retains the result for five years. FCA SYSC 9.1.1R expects those records to be orderly. anonym.plus marks each row on your machine, so the activity pattern stays readable while customer details are shielded.
When this applies
An analyst in Glasgow models queue times across a week. The timestamps, the transaction types and the till codes drive the model. The customer names, National Insurance numbers and account numbers in the same columns do not.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the register in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR reads any imaged pages.
- It flags customers, accounts, and amounts.
- Confirm the flags and keep the cashier and time codes.
- Apply Mask across the customer and account columns.
- Save the clean record locally.
What you need to provide
- The counter register (CSV, PDF, or scan).
- An operator: Replace, Redact, or Mask.
- Optional batch for several days at once.
PII & financial identifiers detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | customer A. Cole → [CUSTOMER] |
| Financial | UK_BANK_NUMBER | 90871220 → ****1220 |
| Money | MONEY | £540.00 → [AMOUNT] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 90 87 12 C → [NINO] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | 10:42 04/2026 → [TIME] |
| Location | LOCATION | branch code → [LOCATION] |
Compliance achieved
- Supports the purpose-limitation test in UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(b) when an operational log is reused for analysis.
- Preserves the monitoring trail MLR 2017 reg. 28 requires and reg. 40 retains for five years.
- Keeps records orderly for FCA SYSC 9.1.1R — the original register is untouched.
- Tests the masked register against the identifiability threshold in DPA 2018 s.3(2).
- Masks whole columns at once across a tabular file; nothing is uploaded.
Anonymise branch transaction logs offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
A rare amount at a known minute can re-identify a customer even with names masked, which is precisely what DPA 2018 s.3(2) asks about. Group or round amounts when the file is for analysis rather than reconciliation.
Frequently asked questions
Can the tool mask a whole column?
Yes. In a CSV or tabular file it flags every value in the customer and account columns, so you can mask them together instead of row by row.
Is analysing an operational log a new purpose?
Often yes. UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(b) allows further use only where it is compatible with the original purpose. Removing the identifying columns first keeps an internal analysis clearly on the right side of that test, and a genuinely anonymous set falls outside UK GDPR altogether under Recital 26.
Is the file uploaded for processing?
No. The app is fully offline, so the register stays on your device.