Identity document copy redaction is the removal of identifiers from a scanned passport or driving licence tied to the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. The Act underpins proof of lawful UK work. anonym.plus reads scans with local OCR, then marks each identifier on your own device.
When this applies
A scanned passport or licence shows a number, a birth date, and a photo line. You must shield those before the image reaches a manager or a shared drive.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the scanned copy in anonym.plus on your device.
- Local OCR (Tesseract) reads the document image.
- The tool flags document numbers, names, and birth dates.
- Review flags on faint scans with extra care.
- Black out or swap the confirmed identifiers.
- Save the clean image locally.
What you need to provide
- The scanned copy (image, PDF, or DOCX).
- An operator (Redact suits an image copy).
- Optional batch of up to 20 scans per run.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | UK_PASSPORT | passport 503827461 → [PASSPORT] |
| Identifiers | UK_DRIVER_LICENSE | MORGA753116M9 → [LICENCE] |
| Names | PERSON | holder M. Coleman → [NAME] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | DOB on card → [DOB] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | QQ 75 31 16 C → [NINO] |
| Location | LOCATION | address on card → [ADDRESS] |
Compliance achieved
- Supports the proof of lawful work under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.
- Local OCR reads card images, so a printed number is caught.
- Offline work keeps the scan on your machine — no cloud.
Anonymise identity document copies offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
OCR on a faint or skewed scan can miss a digit or letter. Check the flags on low-quality images. A black-out removes the pixels; verify the photo and number are fully covered.
Frequently asked questions
Can it redact a number on a passport scan?
Yes. Local OCR reads the image first, then flags the number so you can black it out before the copy is shared.
How many scans can I clean at once?
Up to 20 files per batch run, all processed locally on your device.
Is a black-out reversible?
A true Redact removes the pixels. If you must re-link later, use Replace with an alias map and guard that map.