Manual vs AI Redaction: Which is Better for Video?

Introduction:

How do you know which video redaction method is best for your needs? Achieving a balance between precision and efficiency in video redaction is crucial. CaseGuard Studio offers both Manual Video Redaction and AI Video Redaction to meet specific demands: one provides instant Personal Identifiable Information (PII) redaction using AI, while the other offers complete control over the process.

Redacting body-worn camera (BWC) footage can be challenging due to difficulties in tracking objects and ensuring all PII is detected. CaseGuard’s AI detection system and manual redaction features address these issues effectively.

Let’s compare AI Video Redaction and Manual Video Redaction using a 59-second body-worn camera video of a traffic stop that turns violent, where we redacted all faces for FOIA compliance.

First, check out the video below to see what I’m redacting.

Next, let’s see how long it takes to redact the video using the two separate methods.

Manual Video Redaction:

Use Cases:

• An agency is working on a case where a specific individual has identifying tattoos that need to be redacted. Using the manual redaction tool, users can redact what the AI will not pick up.
• A hospital is redacting a video with a gurney that does not move for the whole video. Using manual redaction, the hospital can redact the whole gurney to ensure the individual’s privacy lying on the gurney is protected.

Step-by-Step Guide:

• Upload: Add your files to CaseGuard Studio.
• Manual Redaction: Select Manual Video from the Toolbar on the right side of the screen.
• Redact Faces: Draw a redaction box around the subject’s face and adjust it frame-by-frame, removing and recreating the box when the subject leaves and re-enters the frame.
• Object Tracking: Use Object Tracking to follow the subject when they stay in the frame for extended periods, switching to manual redaction when the video is shaky or the subject’s head is obscured.
• Review and Export: Review the redacted video to ensure all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is covered, and then Export .

All-in-all, the entire process of setup, manual redaction, review, and exporting took 6 minutes and 19 seconds. Within CaseGuard Studio, Manual Video Redaction provides a wealth of customization options for precise redaction. Users can fine-tune shapes and effects while also specifying reasons for redaction. This level of specificity is particularly beneficial for concealing identifying features in individuals or objects. By manually creating and adjusting redaction boxes, users maintain complete oversight of the process, empowering them to carefully craft redactions that uphold security and privacy while retaining absolute control.

Benefits:

• Complete user control over redaction elements.
• Customization of shapes, effects, and redaction reasons.
• Ideal for situations where specific objects need precise redaction.
• Can redact specific objects AI detection might not pick up due to video quality.

Let’s see it in action!

Play Video

AI Automatic Redaction:

Use Case:

• A police agency needs rapid redaction of faces, license plates, and vehicles in a traffic stop. AI can detect all of these elements seamlessly in real time and redact them.
• A school redacting multiple children in a classroom video while leaving one child unredacted. CaseGuard Studio’s AI features make this a breeze by locating the chosen elements and redacting them from the clip.

Step-by-Step Guide:

• Upload: Upload the video file to CaseGuard Studio.
• AI Redaction: Select AI Video from the Toolbar on the left side.
• Specify Redaction: Specify that you want Faces/Heads blurred with an ellipse shape.
• Review and Adjust: Review the redacted objects using the Object Detection Panel, disabling any redactions on police officers’ faces or heads as needed.
• Review and Export: Review the redacted video to ensure all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is covered, and then Export .

In total, the process of setup, redaction, review, and export took 1 minute and 54 seconds. In CaseGuard Studio, our AI Automatic Redaction feature swiftly detects and redacts PII using cutting-edge AI. It seamlessly removes sensitive data like faces, license plates, screens, people, and cars from various sources such as body-worn camera feeds and CCTV footage. Automating this process ensures compliance and expedites resolution, freeing your team to focus on higher-value tasks. CaseGuard Studio combines efficiency with precision, transforming how you manage sensitive information.

Benefits:

• Time-saving for redacting faces, license plates, vehicles, and more all at once, saving hours of manual work.
• Tons of customization options ranging from redaction effects to redaction reasons.
• Ability to enhance, edit, stabilize, and apply effects to video.
• Compatible with the import and export of any video type.

Let’s see it in action!

Play Video

Conclusion:

Manual Video Redaction offers user control, while AI Automatic Redaction enhances workflow efficiency, particularly in scenarios requiring quick, broad redaction. The choice depends on the nature of the contents and the customization level required. Many projects require some mixture of both, which is where CaseGuard comes in handy. When asked about CaseGuard Studio’s video redaction features, Anthony Miles of the Stockton Police Department had this to say:

“It used to take me hours to redact a body worn camera video. Now it takes a fraction of the time and the accuracy of the automatic face/head detection is amazing! When I saw the demonstration for the program, I thought to myself, ‘This has to be difficult’. Well, I was wrong. The program is easy to use, and you don’t have to be a computer expert to use it.”

CaseGuard Studio ensures users have versatile tools to navigate the complexities of video redaction; offering simplicity of use, precise control, and swift automation based on their unique requirements. From small projects to information requests for hundreds of files, CaseGuard Studio has a solution to any of your redaction needs.