FOI (Freedom of Information)
Laws requiring public bodies to disclose information. In the Netherlands this is WOO; reviewers must balance transparency with privacy.
Knowledge base
FOI & redaction glossary
Core terms for FOI processing and document redaction. For reviewers, DPOs, and records teams.
Redaction
Making passages unreadable or removing them before publication. Part of the formal disclosure decision.
Anonymization
Removing or replacing personal data so individuals are no longer identifiable. Often redacting names, IDs, and contact details.
Personal data
Information relating to an identified or identifiable person (GDPR). Names, addresses, national IDs, email, etc.
Disclosure decision
Authority decision on which documents are published, refused, or partially redacted.
Audit trail
Log of who proposed, approved, or changed each redaction. Required for DPO and regulator accountability.
AI-assisted redaction
Software proposes redactions; human reviewers make final decisions. Not unsupervised full automation.
GDPR
EU privacy law requiring adequate protection of personal data even when documents are disclosed under FOI.
FAQ – FOI terms
Redaction vs anonymization?
Often used interchangeably. Redaction is the legal term in disclosure; anonymization emphasises GDPR personal data removal.
Can we accept all AI suggestions?
No. Each passage must be reviewed by an authorised person.
Where to learn the workflow?
See our FOI requests, AI redaction, and manual vs AI pages.
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