Redact

Redact is a browser application that helps users protect identities in photos by detecting and obscuring faces and removing embedded metadata such as GPS, timestamps, and device data. It operates entirely on the user’s device—no images are uploaded or stored—so it can be used offline and with full privacy. The project addresses tensions between visual documentation, surveillance, and personal safety, offering a hands-on way for participants to reclaim control over their imagery.

Redact models how public interest technology can foreground ethics, agency, and visual justice through everyday tools. The interactive demo allows visitors to experiment with the mechanics and politics of DIY, AI-enabled privacy.

Redact is a project by Atilio Barreda II, CUNY City Tech (Adjunct), CUNY Graduate Center (MS Alum).

About Atilio Barreda II:

Atilio Barreda II is a software engineer, civic technologist, and data science educator.