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Government / Public SectorPage 1 of 10
Solutions · Government / Public Sector

FOIA redaction software
with automated PII review.

Re-Doc is automated FOIA redaction software for responsive documents. 1.5 million FOIA requests in FY2024. A 267,000-case backlog growing 33% year over year. Complex requests can take dozens or even hundreds of staff-hours by hand. Re-Doc automates the detection step. Officers review and approve instead of starting from a blank page on every document.

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1. Your documentincident_report.pdf
Incident Report
Case No CASE-2024-08812 · FOIA
Case NoCASE-2024-08812
SubjectThomas R. Calloway
DOBJune 8, 1990
Address3412 Birch Road, Sacramento CA
InformantCONF-INFRM-001
OfficerMartinez R.
5 pieces of sensitive data foundOriginal agency record. Cannot release.
RE-DOC
2. Safe to shareincident_report_release.pdf
Incident Report
Case No CASE-2024-08812 · FOIA
Case NoCASE-2024-08812
Subject████████████
DOB██████████
Address████████████████████
Informant██████████
Officer████████
Removed from the fileExempt data structurally removed. FOIA release ready.

Case number preserved for recordkeeping. Underlying text structurally removed. Meets FOIA’s “reasonably segregable” standard.

1.5MFOIA requests filed in FY2024, a record high (DOJ OIP)
267KUnprocessed cases in backlog, up 33% year over year (DOJ OIP)
$723MTaxpayer cost of FOIA processing in FY2024 (DOJ OIP)
$54MFOIA-related litigation costs in FY2024 (DOJ OIP)
The problemPage 2 of 10
§ 02 · The problem

Four reasons manual redaction fails at government scale

FOIA officers are processing documents one page at a time. Complex requests can take dozens or even hundreds of staff-hours. Multiply by 1.5 million annual requests. Then add the lawsuits when redactions are done wrong or when visual overlays leave underlying text exposed.

01 · SCALE CRISIS

The backlog is a capacity problem, not a legal one

The government-wide FOIA backlog grew 33% in FY2024 to 267,000 unprocessed requests. Federal agencies processed over one million requests but received 1.5 million. The gap is operational, not legal.

RE-DOC
Agencies have the authority to release. They have the staff. They do not have enough hours. Manual redaction cannot scale to the volume of incoming requests. The backlog compounds every year while requesters with legitimate rights to public records wait months or years for responses.
02 · CRITICAL VULNERABILITY

Improper redaction methods create legal liability

Using annotation or drawing tools in PDF software to place black boxes over text only hides the visual information, the underlying text data often remains recoverable via copy-paste. This is the same failure that exposed 22,391 SSNs in PACER. U.S. Courts guidance explicitly warns against these methods. For government records, releasing content where the exempt information is still accessible can constitute an improper disclosure under FOIA and the Privacy Act, opening the agency to litigation.

RE-DOC
True redaction requires a tool that structurally removes the exempt content from the document file and not just an overlay that hides it visually. The text data stream must be empty, not just covered.
03 · TIME BOTTLENECK

Complex requests require dozens or hundreds of staff-hours

The average FOIA response involves multiple documents, multiple pages, multiple exemption categories. A FOIA officer reads every page, identifies exempt content, and marks redactions manually. For large, complex requests involving voluminous records, multi-custodian reviews, or frame-by-frame analysis, this can require dozens or even hundreds of staff-hours per bundle.

RE-DOC
Automation replaces the detection step. The officer's legal judgment on exemption categories remains human, that cannot be automated. The hours come from the mechanical work of finding every name and address on every page.
04 · BWC GAP

BWC packages include documents too

Body worn camera release requests are not just video. They include incident reports, arrest records, case notes, and witness statements containing bystander names, addresses, and personal details. Per BJA/OJP guidance, BWC public release packages typically include multiple companion documents, incident reports, officer narratives, and witness statements, each requiring separate review and redaction. Video tools like Axon and Motorola handle the footage. They do not handle the paper trail.

RE-DOC
The video gets blurred. The incident report goes out with the officer’s name, the bystander’s address, and the witness’s phone number intact. That is the gap Re-Doc closes.
How it worksPage 3 of 10
§ 03 · Where Re-Doc fits

FOIA officers review. They don’t redact from scratch.

Re-Doc sits between document collection and release. Upload batches via API. Get back every page with exempt information flagged and covered. Officers review AI detections and approve.

STEP 1

Documents collected

FOIA request received. Responsive records uploaded via batch API or individual file submission. Any format.

STEP 2

Re-Doc processes

Visual processing reads every page, scanned or native. A context-aware model identifies names, SSNs, addresses, informant IDs, law enforcement techniques, and all other exempt categories. Redactions applied.

STEP 3

FOIA officer reviews

Officer reviews AI-flagged redactions. Adjusts as needed. Applies exemption codes. Approves the release package. Reviewing is faster than finding from scratch.

STEP 4

Released to requester

Documents released with structural redactions. Underlying text removed from the file, not just overlaid. Cannot be copied, extracted, or reversed. Meets FOIA’s ‘reasonably segregable’ requirement.

§ 04 · Three pipelines

Three pipelines. Different release scenarios.

Some documents need permanent redaction for public FOIA release. Others need to stay fully readable: for inter-agency sharing, AI training, or internal review. And some are DOCX files that mix text with embedded images. The right pipeline depends on who receives the document.

BEST FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Recommended for FOIA release

Redaction pipeline

Structural text removal. Required for documents going to the public.

Visual processing reads the scanned record, finds exempt content by region, and burns permanent black boxes into the output PDF. The underlying text is removed, not just covered. To comply with FOIA’s “reasonably segregable” requirement, the released copy must not reveal the exempt information. This pipeline produces output designed to meet that standard.

  • FOIA responses to public requesters: permanent structural text removal
  • BWC companion documents: incident reports, case notes, witness statements
  • Law enforcement records with Exemption 6 and Exemption 7 material
  • Scanned paper records, faxed documents, photographed files
  • Any document going on public record or outside the agency
Scanned PDF · Photographed Records · Fax Documents · Images
BEST FOR INTERNAL SHARING

Text anonymization pipeline

Synthetic data swap. Document stays fully readable.

Replaces real identifiers with synthetic equivalents that are statistically plausible but not real. The document remains fully readable and structurally intact. No black boxes. Used when the recipient needs to work with the document content, not just receive a redacted copy.

  • Inter-agency sharing with privacy obligations: document stays readable
  • AI and NLP training datasets: [REDACTED] tokens degrade model quality
  • Internal review boards where analysts need full context
  • Research datasets from public records without real subject PII
Native PDF · DOCX · Word Documents · TXT
BEST FOR MIXED TEXT + IMAGE FILES

Multiple data types

Text replaced and images redacted in a single pass.

For DOCX records that mix typed text with embedded images, scanned attachments, and signatures. Re-Doc replaces identifiers in the text with synthetic equivalents and redacts exempt content inside the images (such as logos, stamps and signatures) at the same time, then rebuilds the document with its layout intact.

  • Case files mixing typed reports with scanned exhibits
  • Inter-agency packets with embedded photos and forms
  • Incident reports with signatures and stamps
  • Records with charts, maps, and typed narrative
DOCX · Embedded Images · Signatures · Logos
Use casesPage 4 of 10
§ 05 · Use cases

Three government document workflows

Different agencies, different request types. Same operational problem. Every responsive document still requires an officer to find what needs to be covered before anything goes out the door.

Use case 01 · Government / Public SectorSupports FOIA compliance · Batch API · Federal agencies

Federal FOIA response processing

A federal agency receives 200 documents responsive to a single complex FOIA request. Under current tools, a FOIA officer reads every page to identify exempt content: names, SSNs, informant identities, law enforcement techniques. Then marks redactions manually. With Re-Doc, the 200 documents go through the Batch API. The officer receives pre-flagged documents, reviews the AI detections for accuracy against the applicable exemptions, and approves release. The product is designed to support agency workflows for compliance with 5 U.S.C. § 552. The legal judgment on exemptions remains the officer’s responsibility.

  • Designed to support FOIA compliance workflows
  • Batch API for 200-document runs
  • Officer review and approval step preserved
Use case 02 · Government / Public SectorState Public Records Acts · Open Records Laws

State and local public records requests

State Public Records Acts and local Open Records Laws create the same volume problem at every level of government: city police departments, county agencies, state health departments. A city police department handling hundreds of BWC-related public records requests per year has the same manual bottleneck as a federal agency. Re-Doc processes incident reports, inspection records, permit files, and administrative documents under state open records obligations the same way it processes federal FOIA packages.

  • City police and county agencies
  • State health and administrative departments
  • Batch processing: in, reviewed documents out
Use case 03 · Government / Public SectorBWC companion documents · CJIS compliant workflows

Body worn camera release packages

A BWC release request triggers both video review and document review. Axon, Motorola, and VIDIZMO handle the video footage. Nobody handles the incident reports, arrest records, and witness statements that typically accompany the release. Per BJA/OJP guidance, these companion documents contain bystander names, witness addresses, medical information, and officer-identifying details that require separate redaction. Re-Doc processes the document side of every BWC package. The video tool handles the footage. The two work side by side.

  • Incident reports, arrest records, witness statements
  • CJIS Security Policy compliant deployment options available
  • On-premise available for agencies with strict data requirements
Automated FOIA redactionPage 5 of 10
Answer first

How automated FOIA redaction works

Re-Doc reads each responsive document, finds personal information that falls under privacy exemptions, and prepares redactions. FOIA officers review and approve them instead of marking every page by hand.

Responsive documents arrive as scanned letters, emails exported to PDF, spreadsheets and Word files. Re-Doc handles scans with OCR and native files directly, so one tool covers the whole release package.

Redactions remove the underlying text from the file, so released PDFs cannot be copied through. Output keeps the original layout for the public record.

Re-Doc does not replace your FOIA case-management system. It produces redacted files your team reviews and then stores or releases through the system you already use. On-premise deployment is available on request through an enterprise discussion.

FAQPage 6 of 10
FAQ

Common questions

01What is FOIA redaction software?
Software that finds and removes information exempt from release, such as personal privacy details, from records before they are released under the Freedom of Information Act or state public records laws.
02Can FOIA redaction be automated?
The finding step can. Re-Doc detects personal information across responsive documents and prepares redactions; a FOIA officer still reviews and approves what is released and applies the right exemptions.
03Does Re-Doc work with our FOIA case-management system?
Re-Doc produces standard redacted PDF and DOCX files that you can upload to any case-management or records system. Direct integrations can be discussed as part of an enterprise agreement.
04Can Re-Doc run inside our agency network?
Yes, on request. On-premise deployment is arranged through a separate enterprise discussion and can be tailored to your environment.
What Re-Doc detectsPage 7 of 10
§ 06 · What Re-Doc detects

Exempt categories detected automatically

Common exempt categories under 5 U.S.C. § 552, automatically identified across every page for FOIA officer review. Detected in both native text and scanned records via visual processing.

01Personal names (subjects, witnesses, officers)
02Home addresses and location data
03Social Security numbers
04Dates of birth
05Phone and fax numbers
06Email addresses
07Medical information (Exemption 6)
08Law enforcement techniques (Exemption 7)
09Informant identities (Exemption 7D)
10Internal case and file numbers
11Vehicle identification numbers
12Financial account information
13Personnel records and HR data
14Security clearance references
15Third-party private information
16Investigative source details
17Classified program references
18Any other uniquely identifying data
Custom entity types configurable via API. Add agency-specific identifiers, program codes, or classification markers for any record type.
ComparisonPage 8 of 10
§ 06 · How Re-Doc compares

Built for documents. Not an afterthought.

Most tools in the government FOIA space treat document redaction as a manual, per-page task. Re-Doc automates the detection step at scale.

#Typical tools in the marketRe-DocStatus
01Improper redaction methods leave underlying text recoverable via copy-paste.Structural text removal. The exempt content is permanently removed from the file, not just overlaid.● Covered
02Manual, one page at a time. Complex requests can take dozens or hundreds of staff-hours.Batch API processes entire FOIA bundles in one submission. Officer reviews, not detects.● Covered
03A significant portion of government records, especially legacy files, are scanned images requiring specialized processing.Visual processing handles scanned records of any age, quality, or format.● Covered
04No API access. Every document must be processed manually one at a time.REST API and batch upload slot into any existing agency document workflow.● Covered
05Cloud-only deployment. FedRAMP procurement barrier for many federal and law enforcement agencies.On-premise deployment on request. Contact us for agency deployment requirements.● Covered
$723M

taxpayer cost to process FOIA requests in FY2024

That cost is almost entirely staff-hours. Officers reading documents and drawing boxes by hand. Automation replaces the mechanical detection step. The officer’s legal judgment on exemptions remains human. That cannot be automated.

1.5M

FY2024 requests

267K

Still in backlog

+33%

Backlog growth YoY

$54M

Litigation costs

SourcesPage 9 of 10
§ 07 · References

Sources

#SourceType
[1]DOJ OIP Summary: FY2024 Annual FOIA Reports: 1.5M Requests, 267K Backlog, $723M CostGovernment
[2]FOIA.gov Annual Statistics: Backlog Up 33% Year-Over-Year in FY2024Government
[3]Unredacted SSNs in Federal Court PACER Documents: Federal Judicial Center 2024Government
[4]PDF File Redaction Best Practices: U.S. Court of Federal ClaimsGovernment
[5]CJIS Security Policy Resource Center: FBIGovernment
[6]Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program: Bureau of Justice AssistanceGovernment
Get startedPage 10 of 10

Officers review. Re-Doc does the finding.

Structural redaction for public release. Text anonymization for inter-agency sharing. Multiple Data Types for mixed DOCX records. On-premise deployment on request.

Talk to usTry for free

Related: document anonymization software · what de-identification means · about Re-Doc · Legal document redaction · Document anonymization API