Epstein Files Redactions Failed After Funding Cuts Forced DOJ to Use Basic Adobe Tools

The US Department of Justice's decision to redact parts of the Epstein Files backfired after users discovered a way to copy and paste hidden text into new documents.

This means texts that were deliberately blacked out can be read by the public, defeating the purpose for which they were redacted in the first place.

On X, a thread started when a user posted: 'So apparently there are many Epstein files on the DOJ website where you can highlight the redacted text, copy it, and paste it onto another document to read the redactions'.

This immediately drew reactions from hundreds of users mocking the DOJ's digital security practices.

Why Redacting Epstein Files Failed

Users immediately realised this was possible because of their use of Adobe Acrobat.

However, another user pointed out a common safeguard in Adobe Acrobat: 'I mean you can do that, but you have to hit the sanitise button!!!!' The post implied that the redactions could have been avoided if DOJ staff had used the software's full security features correctly.

Another user added to the ridicule: 'THEY COULDN'T EVEN USE ADOBE ACROBAT PROPERLY?' The posts have since been widely shared, with several joking that the digital blunder undermines the serious nature of the Epstein case.

But as it turns out, failing to redact the Epstein files is not due to incompetence in using Adobe tools. The same user who suggested the feature in Adobe Acrobat found that they were never in the premium subscription in the first place.

'Funniest possibility is that DOGE cut their premium subscription'.

This referred to the US General Services Administration (GSA) contract for Adobe software, suggesting that budget cuts might limit access to the full Adobe Acrobat Pro suite, which includes robust redaction and sanitisation tools.

A subtweet further circulated a screenshot claiming that the DOJ's contractor, DOGE, had cancelled a £3.3 million ($4.1 million) GSA contract for Adobe Acrobat.

What Happens to Redacted Info on Epstein Files?

While others believed releasing redacted Epstein Files was politically charged, the Trump administration explained that it was a way to protect the information of victims. But an improper way of redacting information could potentially compromise ongoing investigations, if any, and the privacy of victims.

Commenters on the post that investigated why the redaction failed shared their thoughts.

Others believe that only a month of a premium subscription would have prevented the mishandling of the files. But others quickly noticed that it's 'poetic justice', since Elon Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency. Some users questioned whether Musk had anything to do with the cost-cutting and whether he had predicted something like this would happen. He was also called a 'masterful gambit' for disarming the Trump administration while they're walking on thin ice since the Epstein files were released.

The DOJ has yet to issue a formal response addressing the Adobe redaction issue.

Preserving Epstein Files

In fear of the US government taking down the files again, technologists Riley Walz and Luke Igel created Jmail.world, a platform that publishes Epstein's emails and contacts in a Gmail-like format.

They also added an AI tool called Jemini to help people search the files easily. According to Igel, a team of collaborators built an 'app suite' to make the documents accessible and understandable to the public. On Monday night, he posted on X that a new batch of Epstein files would be added to Jmail, noting that the government has not yet made them available.