What is Redacting?

Data redaction involves permanently removing or concealing sensitive information within a dataset to prevent unauthorized access. Especially when related to video, redacting usually involves pixelating or blurring faces, text, number plates or similar. This is often used to comply with privacy laws or regulations. In data redaction, parts of the data are generally removed or replaced with a text placeholder when the redaction os taking place on documents. In the case of audio, a simple tone is used to redact passges that may not be heard (names, addresses, etc.).

Some frequent questions about Redacting:

Why are digital files redacted? Redaction is usually required to comply with privacy rules or to safeguard the identity of witnesses in police cases, so the redacted person cannot be identified..
Can redaction be undone? Usually no. redaction is a destructive process that alters the source material in a way that it cannot be reconstructed. Which is the main purpose of redacting in the first place.
How does image/video redaction work? The most common way of redacting video y blurring or pixelating, either faces, objects or text that appears on the video.
How is audio redacted? In general, audio redaction is need to blend out words like names, addresses, and so on. Normally, audio redation just swaps the original sound for a constant tone (1000 Hz).
Are the unredacted originals stored? Yes. In most of the cases, the original files are stored securely as reference material to see all the information, without redacting, when needed.

Our image analytics, management and storage platform Videomed, supports redacting when needed.

Key Features of Redaction:

Blurring or pixelating: The most common ways of hiding information in images or videos, is by pixelating or blurring. This actually alters the pixels in the image, so reconstruction is not possible..
Blocking out: In documents, like PDF files, blocking is the preferred method. It consists of overlaying black blocks on top of the parts that are to be hidden.
Anonymizing: The main goal of redating is anonimyzation of identities, places, objets or the like.
Legal compliance: Normally, redaction is used either to protect people that appear in compromising videos, or to comply with local legal regulations (like GDPR).