User Anonymizer

Table of contents:

Overview

Sometimes you will have to anonymize the content of a specific user, for example, because she or he's leaving the company. We’ve created this tool not only to make it possible. We also implemented some other possibilities for specific use cases. You can choose various options of anonymization to meet all your requirements.

The “User Anonymizer” module allows you to change all the references in issue pickers (like assignee, reporter, etc.), user mentions in text fields (like description, comments, etc.), various ownership (like work log authors, attachment authors, etc) from a source user to a target user. A source user is a person who should be anonymized. The target user could be a real person, who becomes an owner of all the content of the source user, or some special service user (read more about a service user https://actonic.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/GDPR113/pages/646742044).

Panel

Option

Description

Panel

Option

Description

Users to be anonymized

Source Users

User picker field. User (s) to be anonymized. It could be one person or multiple users from some group

Content changes

A first tab represents all the content-related changes (in tickets, comment, attachments, work logs, etc.)

Target User

User picker field. Only one user can be selected

JQL

Scope definition. Anonymization will process only selected tickets

Various fields (user pickers, text fields, etc.)

Checkboxes. Fields to be changed. You should select at least one field to start anonymization

Shared objects changes

The tab represents all the changes related to shared objects. In most cases it is very important to change ownership of shared objects from a source user to some real user, who will be responsible for these shared objects

Target User

User picker field. Only one user can be selected. Select some real person who will take care of all the affected shared objects

Various shared object types (dashboards, filters, etc.)

Checkboxes. Shared objects which ownership to be changed. You should select at least one type to start anonymization

Global changes

The last tab represents all the changes that we can make in general with a source user.

It is not possible to make most changes if a user belongs to an external user directory! Global changes will be processed successfully only for users from the internal user directory.

Quick anonymization process

  1. Select one or multiple Source Users

  2. Select “Content changes”

  3. Select “Target User”, same as your “Service User”

  4. Check all the content changing options

  5. Click “Get affected content (dry run)”

  6. Check the affected tickets

  7. If everything is OK - click “Execute” to start anonymization

Get affected content (dry run) vs Execute

Get affected content (dry run)” function does not make any changes in Jira! It is just looking for affected content and shows it on the page.

Execute” starts the anonymization process. Anonymization is permanent and irreversible. After successful anonymization, you will not be able to view previous content related to the Source User.

Erasure requests

Provide the ability for users to ask to delete/anonymize their personal data. This function is very useful if an employee leaves the company. In this case, he or she can make a direct request for deleting the personal data.

How a user can ask for erasure:

  1. Open the profile page

  2. Click “Edit” for GDPR settings

  3. Click “Request the erasure of my data” and confirm sending the request

Jira administrators will get all anonymization requests in the “User Anonymizer” module or on the “GDPR and security home” page.