Anonymization is often seen as a simple solution to data protection requirements. In practice, however, significant risks arise when data is only partially anonymized, incorrectly redacted or shared in the wrong context.
From a legal point of view, it is decisive whether a personal reference is actually excluded. If this is not the case, all GDPR requirements continue to apply unchanged.
Incompletely anonymized data is still considered personal and is subject to all legal, purpose and data security obligations.
Incorrect anonymization can lead to sanctions, fines and legal disputes.
In addition to legal consequences, there are also operational and organizational risks that burden processes and cooperation.
Incorrectly redacted documents, visible metadata, or contextual information can reveal sensitive data and allow conclusions to be drawn about people or internal processes.
Risks arise from external transfer, internal circulation or multiple use of data. Without clear standards, errors are barely visible.
Even minor errors can result in data continuing to be personal and therefore fully covered by the GDPR.
As soon as re-identification is possible, all obligations of the GDPR continue to apply. This risk often results from incomplete redaction, contextual knowledge or too broad access rights.
Not every company is affected to the same extent. The actual risk situation depends on a number of factors. Typical influencing factors are:
The more sensitive the content, the higher the risk. Health data, contract information or confidential project files require stricter anonymization than general documents.
The more frequently documents are shared internally or externally, the greater the likelihood of loss of context and undetected re-identifications.
Manual work steps increase the error rate. Standardised and automated processes reduce risks and make results comprehensible.
Different formats contain hidden information. Metadata, comments, or layers in PDFs can contain personal information, even if the text is blacked out.
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Get a general overview of data protection and the most important requirements of the GDPR.
Classification of risks and requirements for large amounts of data.
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