Bug: remove or cover up sensitive text
After drawing a dark rectangle over some text in order to block out some sensitive data, it looks like it disappeared on the screen. Although then saving the file and re-opening the file, the blocked out text is not visible BUT the blocked out text is still selectable and can be copied and pasted. A user would expect that if a blank box is drawn over something (such as text) that something (such as text) would no longer be there.
I have found no other way to remove or cover up sensitive data.
See uploaded file 'Adobe-Example_edit-save.pdf' there is a black rectangle over the word 'General' in '1. General Terms' which all looks ok but if you highlight the text, copy and paste it somewhere the word "General' is still there. This is the problem and is very deceptive.
Jeff McDowell
shared this idea
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minihal
commented
This is an important issue and can definitely be misleading for users who believe the information has been fully removed. Drawing a rectangle only visually masks the content, but the underlying text layer still exists in the PDF, which is why it remains selectable and copyable.
A more reliable approach would be to use a true redaction feature that permanently removes the text from the document structure rather than just covering it. If redaction isn’t available in the current workflow, Adobe could improve this by clearly warning users that shapes or annotations do not delete underlying content.
From a usability and security standpoint, it would be helpful if Adobe either:
Automatically flatten or remove text under drawn masks when saving, or
Provide clearer guidance and UI indicators to prevent accidental exposure of sensitive data.
Thanks for highlighting this — it’s a real concern for anyone handling confidential documents.