In September 2026, IDScan confirmed a breach that exposed over 150 million driver's licenses, showing how much damage a single shared document can cause. Before you share a PDF that contains identity documents, remove those pages so only the information your recipient needs is sent.
How to do it
Locate the identity pages
Open the PDF and find any pages that contain driver's licenses, passports, or scanned IDs. Note their page numbers so you can remove them precisely.
Upload and delete the sensitive pages
Use the Delete Pages tool, upload your file, and enter the page numbers to remove. Delete only the pages that contain the sensitive documents.
Download and verify the cleaned file
Download the result and review every remaining page to confirm no ID images or hidden metadata remain. Send the cleaned file — keep the original private copy for your records.
Why identity leaks are especially harmful
Identity documents contain persistent identifiers (license numbers, passport numbers, photos) that can be reused for fraud, identity theft, and account takeover for years after a breach. The 2026 ID verification service incident showed how a single leaked dataset can expose people at scale.
Practical examples
Remove a scanned passport from a job application PDF, delete license images from lease or insurance documents, and strip attached ID pages when sending medical records or legal paperwork.
Delete vs redact
Deleting removes the page entirely; redaction hides specific fields while leaving the page. If a whole page contains only identity material, deletion is the simplest and safest choice.
Frequently asked questions
Will deleting a page keep the rest of the PDF intact?
Yes — deleting a page removes it without re-rendering the remaining pages. The document retains original formatting and content for the kept pages.
What about metadata and embedded thumbnails?
After deleting pages, download the cleaned PDF and check for thumbnails or embedded data. Our processing strips common metadata, but verifying visually is a good final step.
Can I recover a deleted page if I mistakenly remove it?
Keep the original file until you are sure the cleaned copy is correct. If you keep the original, you can re-run the process and remove different pages.
Sources
Use the actual tool
Ready to delete pages?
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