Batch redaction is the removal of personal PII from a whole folder of releases in one run. FOIA 2000 s.40 exempts data whose disclosure would breach the data protection principles. Many such folders exist because the Public Records Act 1958 requires selected official records to be preserved and eventually transferred to The National Archives — since s.45 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 cut the old 30-year rule to 20 years, that transfer, and the public access that comes with it, now arrives sooner and in bigger yearly batches. anonym.plus applies the same redaction rule across each file on your device.
When this applies
A large request returns hundreds of files, with the same people across many. One-by-one work risks drift. A batch run keeps the redaction even.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Point anonym.plus at the folder on your machine.
- Local OCR reads any scanned pages first.
- The tool flags personal PII the same way in each file.
- A shared map keeps repeat people steady across the run.
- Review the summary and fix low-confidence flags.
- Save the cleared set on your device.
What you need to provide
- A folder of releases (PDF, DOCX, or mixed, up to 20 at a time).
- The shared label map turned on for steady results.
- An operator: Redact for the public copies.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | person across files → [PERSON_1] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | emails → [EMAIL] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | phones → [PHONE] |
| Identifiers | UK_NINO | NINOs → [NINO] |
| Location | LOCATION | addresses → [ADDRESS] |
| Identifiers | NATIONAL_ID | case refs → [ID_n] |
Compliance achieved
- Applies FOIA 2000 s.40 (personal data) the same way to every file.
- Fits the larger yearly transfer batches created since the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 s.45 20-year rule replaced the old 30-year one under the Public Records Act 1958.
- A shared map keeps repeat people steady across the run.
- Whole-folder work stays offline — nothing uploaded.
- Batches up to 20 files at a time on your hardware.
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Limitations & cautions
A batch handles up to 20 files per run, so split a very large request. Mixed folders lean on OCR for scans, so review low-confidence flags. The exemption call is yours; the tool applies your rule but does not judge each withholding, and it does not decide which records the 1958 Act requires you to transfer in the first place.
Frequently asked questions
How does batch mode keep one person steady?
A shared map logs each person once, so the same name maps to the same label in every file across the folder, which matters when the same official or claimant appears across a decade of files.
Why is the transfer window 20 years rather than 30?
The Public Records Act 1958 set the original rule for when selected official records reach The National Archives. Section 45 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 cut that from 30 years to 20, phased in gradually, which means archives now process a bigger annual batch of newly releasable files than they did under the old rule.
How many files can one run handle?
Up to 20 at a time. For a larger request, split it into batches. Each run stays local on your own hardware.
Can the batch mix PDFs and scans?
Yes. Mixed types work. Scanned pages are read with local OCR before the PII check, which matters for older paper files digitised for transfer.