Data protection and security
Anonymisation
Changing personal data so that no one can be identified from it, even by combining it with other information.
- Data protection and security
Definition
Changing personal data so that no one can be identified from it, even by combining it with other information. Truly anonymous data is outside data protection law. Removing names alone is rarely enough.
Example
Alta Sky Centre's total admissions per month do not identify anyone. A list of visits with dates, postcodes and ages might still identify people.
Alta Sky Centre AS is a fictional company created for Insyt.
For your role
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Why it matters
Properly anonymised data falls outside data protection law, which reduces risk and opens up safe reuse.
Where it is used
Research, testing, reporting and data sharing.