Investigation file redaction is the removal of personal data from a compiled case folder gathered under the Equality Act 2010. That Act covers discrimination and harassment tied to a protected characteristic, and a fair inquiry underpins any finding. anonym.plus marks names, contacts, and dates on your device, so the conclusions stay usable while individuals are shielded.
When this applies
A case folder gathers interviews, emails, and notes that name many people. You strip those identifiers before the record travels beyond the lead investigator.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Point anonym.plus at the case folder on your machine.
- Built-in OCR reads scanned notes and printed emails.
- The app marks names, emails, and postal addresses.
- A shared map holds one label per person across the set.
- Review the summary and fix low-confidence markings.
- Save the clean folder locally.
What you need to provide
- The case folder (PDF, DOCX, mixed scans).
- The shared alias map for steady labels.
- An operator (Replace suits a multi-part file).
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | interviewee A → [WITNESS_1] |
| Names | PERSON | the line manager → [RESPONDENT] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | a.user@example.co.uk → [EMAIL] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | meeting on 2 April → [DATE] |
| Location | LOCATION | Leeds branch → [LOCATION] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 12 34 56 C → [NINO] |
Compliance achieved
- Supports a fair, confidential review under the Equality Act 2010.
- Keeps the findings and timeline intact for the decision-maker.
- Offline work keeps the folder on your machine — nothing leaves it.
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Limitations & cautions
Protecting a person who came forward is hard. A rare event in the narrative can re-identify them once names are gone. Read the compiled notes for indirect clues before you share the folder.
Frequently asked questions
Can I process the whole folder at once?
Yes. Batch mode handles up to 20 files per local run, and the shared map keeps each person to one label across the set.
Does the record leave my device?
No. The app is 100% offline. The folder, its notes, and its findings stay on your machine throughout the run.
Will labels stay consistent file to file?
Yes. Turn on the alias map so one individual maps to one pseudonym. Turn it off when you need true anonymity.