Document-photo privacy guide

Share only the ID details the recipient actually needs

A request to confirm one fact can expose a full name, home address, birth date, document number, portrait, signature, and machine-readable code.

Start with the request

Ask what information is required, why it is required, how it will be stored, and whether a safer verification method is available. Do not alter an official document where doing so is unlawful or defeats a legitimate verification requirement.

Review every information channel

• Printed names, addresses, dates, and identification numbers
• Faces, signatures, barcodes, and QR codes
• Background mail, screens, reflections, or other documents
• Source location and shooting metadata
• Motion and audio if the image was captured as a Live Photo

Use detection as a starting point

On-device text, face, and barcode detection can suggest sensitive regions, but formatting, glare, language, angle, or image quality may cause misses. Add and adjust masks manually, then inspect the final copy at full size.

Keep a clean original

LivePhoto Safe creates a separate protected copy; it does not need to overwrite your source. Store the original securely and send the minimized copy only to the intended recipient.