Which process involves removing identifying information from data before its distribution?

The process of removing identifying information from data before its distribution is known as deidentification. This technique is crucial for protecting individuals' privacy while allowing data to be used for analysis, research, or sharing. By stripping away personal identifiers such as names, addresses, and other unique characteristics, deidentification ensures that the data cannot be traced back to any specific individual, thereby minimizing the risk of compromising sensitive information.

This practice is especially important in industries such as healthcare and finance, where data privacy regulations require the safeguarding of personal information. Additionally, deidentification allows organizations to comply with legal and ethical standards while still utilizing valuable data for insights and research.

In contrast, declassification refers to the process of changing the classification of information, allowing it to be freely shared or accessed; data format relates to the way data is structured or organized, but does not involve privacy concerns; and "bigot" is irrelevant in this context, as it does not pertain to data security or privacy processes.