AI Video Redaction Software for Businesses: The Complete Guide to Compliant CCTV Processing

The UK alone has approximately 7.3 million CCTV cameras in operation. Every day, those cameras capture shoppers, commuters, patients, employees, and bystanders. Under UK GDPR, the EU GDPR, and equivalent regulations in other countries, every identifiable person captured in your video footage is a data subject with enforceable privacy rights.

When you share, disclose, or publish that footage, you are required to redact every individual who is not the subject of that disclosure.

#When organisations need video redaction software

Video redaction is the process of blurring, masking, or anonymising personally identifiable information (PII) in video footage before it is shared or disclosed.

 PII in video goes beyond what most people expect. Under GDPR, the following all constitute personal data that must be redacted:

• Faces (the most obvious, but also the most technically demanding to redact reliably)

• Vehicle licence plates

• Tattoos and distinguishing marks

• Visible signage, location indicators, or address information

• Information on computer screens or documents in frame

#Time-sensitive requests: responding to SARs

Subject Access Requests deserve special attention, because they represent the most common and time-sensitive compliance trigger for video redaction. Under GDPR, any individual can request a copy of video footage in which they appear. 

Your organisation must:

1. Respond within 30 days of receiving the request

2. Provide the footage free of charge

3. Redact all third parties before disclosure

4. Preserve the original, unredacted file for data integrity

Inability to redact is not a valid reason to refuse a SAR. 

#Manual vs automated redaction: a direct comparison

SAR volumes are rising year on year. Organisations that rely on manual redaction are increasingly exposed to deadline failures, cost overruns, and staff burnout.

Manual redaction is frame-by-frame blurring using video editing tools for creative video projects. It is slow, expensive, inconsistent, and increasingly unsustainable as SAR volumes rise. 

AI-powered video redaction software automates redacting personal data. It detects and tracks faces, bodies, and licence plates automatically, and then applies blur as subjects move through the frame. The result is faster processing, lower costs, and more consistent compliance.

The time saving in that single example from MerseyRail represents a 66% reduction in processing time. 

Across a team handling dozens of SARs per month, that translates directly into recovered staff hours and reduced operational cost.

#What to look for in AI video redaction software

Here is what compliance professionals and security managers should evaluate when selecting a solution for their business.

#1. Automated detection and tracking

The core capability of any AI redaction tool is its ability to detect and track PII automatically, without requiring manual frame-by-frame edits. Look for software that can:

• Detect and track faces, even in low light, at angles, or in crowded scenes

• Blur full bodies 

• Redact vehicle licence plates 

• Handle fast-moving subjects without losing track of them

The difference between good and poor detection becomes most apparent in real-world footage. We recommend testing different solutions with your own CCTV exports.

#2. Manual editing support for complex footage

Automated redaction handles the bulk of the work, but it should be combined with manual editing capabilities, so your team can fine-tune results without starting from scratch.

#3. Data integrity compliance

Your software should preserve the original, unredacted file for data integrity, and redacted exports should be irreversible.

#4. Audit trails and access controls

You need to demonstrate that your redaction process was controlled and documented.

Look for:

• Audit logs showing who accessed, processed, and exported each video

• Role-based access controls restricting footage access to authorised personnel

• Version control preserving both the original and redacted files separately

#5. Integration with your existing CCTV infrastructure

If you already have a VMS in place, being able to integrate video redaction software with your existing setup would help make your video redaction workflow less time-consuming.

Identity Cloak integrates directly with Milestone XProtect, allowing you to redact footage without ever leaving the XProtect Smart Client. You can install and launch the plug-in in about 10 minutes. It is compatible with all Milestone video streams, including body-worn, PTZ, 360°, and fixed dome cameras.

Identity Cloak can also be integrated via API.

Read more about Milestone plug-ins for live and recorded footage redaction here.

#6. Scalability for SAR volume spikes

Increased public awareness of data rights, involvement of solicitors, and the growth of body-worn camera deployments are all driving more SARs.

At the same time, there’s no way to predict when the next SAR is going to come in, and how long or complex it would be.

Ideally, your redaction software scales when demand spikes without requiring outsourcing or creating high costs. 

#7. On-premise deployment for data security

Cloud-based redaction services require you to upload sensitive footage to third-party servers. On-premise software processes footage within your own secure environment, behind your firewall, with no video data leaving your network.

#8. User-friendly interface

Redaction tasks typically fall to compliance coordinators, CCTV supervisors, or data protection officers. An intuitive interface with minimal clicks, clear visual overlays, and straightforward export options reduces training time and the risk of user error.

#Identity Cloak for compliant business video redaction

Here is how Identity Cloak by Facit addresses each compliance need for businesses:

Identity Cloak has processed over 15,000 videos for customers including NHS trusts, transport operators, retailers, and educational organisations.

Start your free 7-day trial of Identity Cloak. No credit card required.

#Industry use cases for video redaction software

Video redaction requirements vary by sector, but the underlying compliance obligation is consistent across industries.

#Retail

Retailers handle CCTV footage for loss prevention, incident investigation, insurance claims, and employee monitoring. When footage is shared with legal teams, insurers, or law enforcement, all bystander faces and licence plates must be redacted. 

Retail stores with multiple locations need a scalable solution that can process footage from hundreds of cameras consistently.

#Transportation and logistics

Transport operators have extensive CCTV networks and regularly receive SARs from passengers involved in incidents. They also may use footage as a response to incidents, from fare dodging to altercations, and for internal training.

Nottingham City Transport, with 289 vehicles and over 4,000 cameras, uses Identity Cloak to process footage with minimal manual intervention.

Kingston Technology relies on redacted footage to create an audit trail for package shipping, while staying compliant with privacy regulations.

Healthcare

NHS trusts and private healthcare providers handle highly sensitive footage in clinical environments. They need to be able to redact not just faces or bodies, but also to handle footage of crowded environments, sensitive areas inside the hospital, and redact audio in bodycam recordings.

King's College Hospital adopted Identity Cloak to fulfil SARs and comply with data privacy regulations without depleting clinical budgets or diverting expert staff to administrative tasks.

#Education

Schools, colleges, and universities use CCTV for safeguarding and security. 

The education sector is the second most vulnerable to data security incidents in the UK, and the ICO has specifically highlighted CCTV footage as a compliance priority for educational settings.

Witherslack Group, the UK’s leading provider of specialist education and care for children and young people with special educational needs, uses Identity Cloak across its 36 schools and learning centres across England to manage footage requests.

#Hospitality and leisure

Hotels, leisure centres, and entertainment venues regularly receive requests for footage relating to incidents, accidents, and disputes. 

TeamSport, a company that operates karting venues across the UK, uses Identity Cloak to handle SARs.

So does the Tate Foundation:

#Public sector institutions

Local councils and public bodies face high SAR volumes and need to process videos for parking and traffic rules enforcement, incident reporting, and in response to media footage requests. 

With small teams, these organisations need to be able to process footage without extensive manual work.

#FAQs

#Can I integrate video redaction software with my existing CCTV system?

Yes. Identity Cloak is designed to work with your existing infrastructure. It supports MP4 and AVI formats, includes a built-in screen recorder to convert proprietary footage formats, and integrates with Milestone XProtect via plug-ins. 

#Is on-premise redaction software more secure than cloud-based services?

For most organisations, yes. On-premise software processes footage within your own secure environment, behind your firewall. No video data is transferred to external servers, eliminating the data transfer risk associated with cloud-based redaction services. Identity Cloak operates entirely on your device — Facit does not access or store your video files.

#How long does it take to redact a video with Identity Cloak?

On recommended hardware, Identity Cloak processes most videos in under 30 minutes from import to export. For shorter clips, processing can be significantly faster.

#What happens if I receive more SARs than expected?

Identity Cloak's plans include unlimited video length, and additional video capacity can be added as needed.

#Does Identity Cloak support audio redaction?

Yes. Identity Cloak includes audio redaction to protect spoken personal information in bodycam footage.

#Related articles

• A complete guide to video redaction

• CCTV video redaction and GDPR compliance

• Face blurring software: a complete guide