Document Scanning That Respects People's Privacy

A major obstacle standing in the way of widespread adoption of document imaging technology is concern for people's privacy, with respect to certain documents that contain sensitive information.

Tax records, for instance, have social security numbers and financial information that no one wants to see show up in Google search results. Companies that possess such sensitive documents are hesitant to digitize these records for fear of lawsuits.

Fortunately, document imaging companies, and the industry as a whole, have taken measures to address these valid concerns for privacy protection. Specifically, major advancements have been made in a process called "automated redaction."

As explained in this article by industry expert Chris Riley of technology consulting firm Living Analytics, automated reduction can be a very simple process.

In the example of tax returns, for instance, social security numbers usually appear in the same areas of the page, tax return after tax return after tax return.

Other jobs are more complex, of course, and document imaging companies may be consulted to help handle that complexity.

But for standard forms, automated reduction can help companies gain control over sensitive information, even while making use of advanced document imaging solutions that can revolutionize record management. Solutions are out there.