Silencing the Risk, Not the Whistle: A Semi-automated Text Sanitization Tool for Mitigating the Risk of Whistleblower Re-Identification

arXiv:2405.01097v1 Announce Type: cross
Abstract: Whistleblowing is essential for ensuring transparency and accountability in both public and private sectors. However, (potential) whistleblowers often fear or face retaliation, even when reporting anonymously. The specific content of their disclosures and their distinct writing style may re-identify them as the source. Legal measures, such as the EU WBD, are limited in their scope and effectiveness. Therefore, computational methods to prevent re-identification are important complementary tools for encouraging whistleblowers to come forward. However, current …

abstract accountability arxiv automated cs.cl cs.cy cs.hc cs.ir cs.se face fear however identification public reporting risk style text tool transparency type writing