Batch anonymisation is the removal of PII from a whole folder of deal documents in one run. Scale changes the risk: DPA 2018 s.171 makes it an offence to re-identify de-identified personal data without the controller's consent, so the shared label map is an asset to guard. anonym.plus runs the whole set on your device.
When this applies
A full data room means cleaning hundreds of items at once, with the same staff or counterparty in many. One-by-one work risks drift. A batch run keeps the labels even — and when the deal closes, UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) says the copies should not sit on a shared drive for ever.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Point anonym.plus at the folder on your machine.
- It scans each item for names, IDs, and account data.
- A shared map keeps repeat parties steady across the run.
- Review the summary and fix any low-confidence flags.
- Save the clean set on your device.
What you need to provide
- A folder of documents (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, or mixed).
- The shared label map turned on for steady results.
- An operator (Replace works well for a corpus).
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | party across files → [PARTY_1] |
| Org | ORGANIZATION | repeat firm → [ENTITY_1] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | emails → [EMAIL] |
| Finance | IBAN_CODE | accounts → [ACCOUNT_n] |
| Identifiers | NATIONAL_ID | VAT ids → [ID_n] |
| Location | LOCATION | addresses → [ADDRESS] |
Compliance achieved
- Guards against the re-identification offence in DPA 2018 s.171 by keeping the map local.
- Helps retire data room copies under UK GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) once the deal closes.
- Backs UK GDPR Art. 32(1)(a) security with AES-256-GCM at rest.
- Whole-folder work stays offline — nothing uploaded. Batch up to 20 at a time.
Anonymise diligence data sets offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
The shared map is the weak point: while it exists the set is pseudonymous, not anonymous, and DPA 2018 s.171 does not stop a leak, it only punishes misuse afterwards. Mixed folders also lean on OCR for image pages, so review low-confidence flags from scans.
Frequently asked questions
How does batch mode keep one party steady?
A shared map logs each party once, so the same person or firm maps to the same label in every document across the folder.
Why guard the label map so carefully?
Because it is the key that turns the output back into personal data. DPA 2018 s.171 makes re-identifying de-identified data without consent an offence, but the practical control is keeping the map on your device and deleting it when it is no longer needed.
Can the batch mix PDFs, DOCX, and scans?
Yes. Mixed types work. Scanned pages are read with local OCR before the check.