How document redaction software can solve a big admin problem

Across the public sector, removing personal information from a file before it’s shared is a necessary but laborious task. Yet in policing, AI-enabled document redaction software is already cutting the time it takes by up to 90%. In this article, we explore why redaction is a growing problem, show how AI can help and explain why automated solutions still need a human touch. 

Taking care of personal information

Whether it’s to support a prosecution or respond to a Freedom of Information request, data protection legislation requires unnecessary personal information to be removed from a file before it’s shared. This could be a name, an address or a car registration. But it’s not just data protection that’s the issue. For a police force preparing a case file for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), it’s about safeguarding victims and witnesses too.

For all its benefits, the redaction process can be painfully slow. A recent review of police productivity found it takes around two minutes to manually review and redact just one page, adding up to a huge 770,000 hours annually. And when this work is often completed by trained officers, it’s clear this time would be better spent elsewhere.

Advances in document redaction software

Not too long ago, officers were redacting printed information with marker pens. Then came editing tools that obscured the text digitally, although the review was still completed by eye. As the volume of digital data built up, the scale of the problem – and the advent of AI – led to development a solution that would transform the process but keep officers in the driving seat.

NEC DocDefender is a cloud-based and AI-enabled solution that identifies and removes personal information from visible and hidden data. Its first customer, Bedfordshire Police, was able to redact documents hundreds of pages long in around 15 minutes, a task that would have previously taken more than a day. Since launching in 2023, it’s now supporting nearly half of all UK police forces.

Making the redaction process easy, secure and fast

DocDefender was designed to be simple, so users require little or no training. Here’s the process from end to end:

1. Upload your files for redaction (PDFs, images or Office documents)
2. Choose the categories of data you want removed
3. Let the AI scan the document
4. Review the suggested redactions and make adjustments if needed
5. Download your files ready for sharing

All data is held in the UK and encrypted while in transit and at rest. After you’ve finished redacting, the files are automatically deleted. It’s cloud based too, so it’s quick and easy to get started.

Keeping human oversight in place

NEC DocDefender combines AI with a human touch to create a cost-effective solution to the redaction problem. In line with our commitment to the ethical use of AI, it helps users to work much faster but keep them in control, enabling them to adjust their approach to suite their needs.

This means it’s ready to support organisations across the public sector, speeding up investigations or redacting personally identifiable information (PII) to ensure GDPR compliance.

Protect your documents seamlessly

Click here to find out how our document redaction software could free your teams from hours of admin, READ MORE.

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