In plain English
Names and other details that point to a specific person have been taken out or masked. What remains is data that is not reasonably linkable back to that person, either on its own or through indirect connection.
In context
Here, de-identified indicates that the data has had identifying details removed or obscured so the person it concerns cannot reasonably be identified from the remaining information, directly or indirectly.
- Situation
- Understanding encryption, privacy, data-sharing, and secure-connection labels
- What it communicates
- describes data after direct identifying details have been removed
Meaning limits
The term alone does not mean identification is absolutely impossible; it means the person cannot reasonably be identified from the data.
Examples
“The council published de-identified complaint records, showing age bands and districts instead of names, full postcodes, and exact birth dates.”
“The interview transcripts remained de-identified, with each speaker marked only as A, B, or C.”