Make a safe copy of your ID: watermark and redact in your browser

A landlord asks for a copy of your ID. Or the bank, or a new employer. You take a photo with your phone, email it off, and deep down you know it isn't safe. A bare ID copy with your national ID number on it is exactly what a fraudster needs to apply for something in your name.

The Safe copy of your ID tool fixes that: you lay an indelible watermark over it and black out sensitive fields such as your ID/social-security number with redaction bars. Everything happens in your browser, with no government login, no install and no account.

What the tool does

You enter what the copy is for (for example "Rental contract, Acme Property Ltd") and the date. Those become a watermark across the whole image: slanted, red, repeated text along the lines of "COPY, FOR [purpose], [date], NOT FOR OTHER USE". Then you drag black bars over your ID number, signature or other fields that aren't needed. You download a new JPG or PNG; your original stays as it was.

Why this is safe

The photo is loaded in your browser and does not go to a server. The black bars are burned into the output. It isn't a layer someone can later "remove"; the pixels underneath are gone. The watermark is rendered diagonally and repeated on top, precisely because that is harder to crop out than a single straight bar. Anyone who tries to reuse your copy despite the warning can't just cut next to the text.

This is the same approach as the official Dutch KopieID app (watermark plus redaction), but without the government login, without an install and without being tied to a government account.

The pain this removes

• No bare ID out in the world. You no longer send an unprotected scan someone could commit fraud with.
• No app hassle. No government login, no install, no account, just your browser.
• No upload risk. Your ID photo never lands on a server.
• Proof of intent. The watermark states in black and white what the copy was meant for, and explicitly rules out other use.

How to make a safe copy, step by step

1. Open Safe copy of your ID and fill in the purpose and the date.
2. Drop your ID photo into the box. Is it sideways? Straighten it with the rotate buttons.
3. Click and drag black bars over your ID number and your signature. Covered too much? Use "Undo".
4. Download the image. Ready to send.

Which fields should you redact?

At minimum your national ID or social-security number (on the back of an ID card, and in the MRZ strip at the bottom of a passport) and your signature. Some advice says to cover your photo too, but for a landlord or bank you often want to show it. What you don't need to cover: name, date of birth, nationality and sex, since those are already in your rental or bank application anyway.

Frequently asked questions

Does my ID photo go to a server? No. The photo is processed in your browser; nothing is sent to a server. You download a new file, your original is untouched.

Can the black bars be removed again? No. They're burned into the downloaded image. The covered pixels are gone, not hidden under a layer.

Is this the same as the KopieID app? The approach (watermark plus redaction) is the same; the execution is lighter. For heavy identification, for example a tax-office request, use the official app. For a landlord, bank or employer this is fine.

Why a diagonal watermark? Slanted, repeated text runs across the whole image and is therefore much harder to crop out than a straight bar.

---

Make it safe: Safe copy of your ID. In your browser, no government login, and your ID stays yours.