diff --git a/changelogs/client_server/newsfragments/2016.clarification b/changelogs/client_server/newsfragments/2016.clarification
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77ea0d4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/client_server/newsfragments/2016.clarification
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Remove ``prev_content`` from the redaction algorithm's essential keys list.
diff --git a/specification/client_server_api.rst b/specification/client_server_api.rst
index 6f65ebb1..604c2b1c 100644
--- a/specification/client_server_api.rst
+++ b/specification/client_server_api.rst
@@ -1500,7 +1500,6 @@ the following list:
 - ``room_id``
 - ``sender``
 - ``state_key``
-- ``prev_content``
 - ``content``
 - ``hashes``
 - ``signatures``