Octobox

Municipality of Central Groningen

The algorithm in the software is mainly set to recognise and anonymise privacy-sensitive information in documents. Basis for this is the AVG. The tool is also used to highlight and mask information that cannot be shared for other reasons (based on another basis, e.g. the Woo) in a document.

Last change on 14th of January 2025, at 10:39 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

• Publication category: Other algorithms
• Impact assessment: Field not filled in.
• Status: In use

General information

Theme

Organisation and business operations

Begin date

2024-11

Contact information

[e-mail]

Responsible use

Goal and impact

The anonymisation tool is used to give substance to transparency on the one hand and the necessary protection of the persons, companies and institutions to whom documents relate on the other hand.Transparency because it enables the Municipality of Midden-Groningen to share information according to regulations such as the Woo, either actively or passively. For citizens about whom data are included in documents to be published, the use means that there is no privacy violation thereby complying with the AVG. This also applies to the protection of privacy data of the employees of the Municipality of Midden-Groningen.The applicant of a Woo request receives the information she requested, either in an anonymised version or partially masked on a different basis. For the departments within the organisation responsible for handling a Woo request and/or publishing information, it means complying with laws and regulations. Use of the software reduces processing time and therefore contributes to being able to provide requested information within the legal deadlines.The risk impact of the algorithm is low. This applies to individuals (citizens, employees of buying organisations) and companies and institutions. The algorithm searches specifically for (personal) data and masks or designates them regardless of the further content of documents. A proposal is made for anonymising a text fragment to a subject person, there are no automatic decisions. In addition, the tool has the option of manually masking information that cannot be made public for other reasons. With this, for example, a text fragment containing strategic information can be marked to protect one's own organisation or a partner organisation (government, company or institution). The basis for anonymising or masking is indicated in the box.

Considerations

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Human intervention

Human intervention and control is always the norm in use. The software works on the basis of a setup document. Mid-Groningen municipality can tune/parameterise the algorithm usage to its own unique situation through this setup document and various mechanisms. A proposal is made for anonymising a text fragment to a subject person. No automated decisions are involved.The algorithm specifically searches for (personal) data and marks or designates it regardless of further document content. The subject matter person handles the suggestions and indicates where they are correct, corrects where it should. If necessary, this work can also be reviewed within the software by a second person. For the citizen, this means that Municipality Midden-Groningen works demonstrably and proportionally to eliminate (the risk of) privacy violations and thus complies with the AVG.

Risk management

To mitigate the risk of documents being insufficiently anonymised, human verification always takes place. This involves a full check where the software can be used intuitively to check or modify/enrich. If no human control were to take place when anonymising documents, various risks may arise, especially due to disclosure or publication of privacy-sensitive data. This tool in conjunction with humans, helps prevent this:Violation of privacy laws:The inadvertent disclosure of personal data may violate privacy laws, such as the EU's AVG. This can lead to significant fines and legal sanctions.Identity Theft:If personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, addresses and social security numbers is disclosed, it can lead to identity theft and financial fraud.Damage to Reputation:Both the reputation of the individuals whose information has been leaked and that of municipality of Ede responsible for the leak can suffer serious damage.Loss of Confidence:Public and concerned stakeholders' trust in the municipality of Ede may be diminished, leading to a decline in engagement and support.Personal Damage:Individuals may suffer emotional and psychological damage if their personal data, such as medical or financial information, is made public.Exploitation and Abuse:Disclosed data may be used for malicious purposes, such as strike, harassment or discrimination.Human monitoring helps to mitigate these risks by providing an additional layer of assessment and confirmation that anonymisation processes have been adequately carried out before information is made public.

Operations

Data

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External provider

Octobox Netherlands BV