Video Privacy Mask Tutorial

By: Ethan Ace, Published on Feb 27, 2018

Privacy has historically been hotly debated in the surveillance industry, especially in public surveillance systems where cameras may be located in residential areas. This is becoming even a greater concern as the EU implements the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Privacy masks are a feature widely supported in cameras and some VMSes that aims to improve privacy. In this tutorial, we explain:

Opaque vs translucent pixelated masks
Shapes of masks allowed
PTZ camera masking
Static vs dynamic masks
Camera vs server side masks
Analytics for privacy masking
Removable camera masks
Risks of blocking usable video
Bandwidth reduction

********** ************ **** ***** debated ** *** ************ industry, ********** ** ****** surveillance ******* ***** ******* may ** ******* ** residential *****. **** ** becoming **** * ******* concern ** *** ** implements *** ******* **** ********** Regulation (****)

******* ***** *** * feature ****** ********* ** cameras *** **** ***** that **** ** ******* privacy. ** **** ********, we *******:

****** ** *********** ********* masks
****** ** ***** *******
*** ****** *******
****** ** ******* *****
****** ** ****** **** masks
********* *** ******* *******
********* ****** *****
***** ** ******** ****** video
********* *********

[***************]

********

******* ***** ******* ********* from ******* ***** **** should *** ** *********. There *** *** ***** **** these ***** *** ********:

******:** **** *****, ** opaque ***/******* ** ***** over *** **** ** be ******, ********* ****** as * ***** *****. No ******** ** ******* may ** **** ** the ****** ****.

***********/*********: **** *******/*** ***** ***** to ******** ******* ******* of ******* ******** **** out ***** * ***** color. **** ****** * rough **** ** ******** within *** **** ******* displaying *******. *** *******, a ****** *** ** seen ****** *****, *** no ******* ** ***** face ** ***** ********.

Multiple ***** *******

**** ******* *** ********* allow ******** ******* ***** to ** *******, ** some ***** **** ********* colors ** ************ ******** for ****. **** ****** for ******** *****/******* ** be ******* ** *** private ***** ** ******** buildings ** ** ******* without ******** ****** ** between.

Most ***** ***********

*** ******** ** ******/******** manufacturers ***** **** *********** masks ** ** *******. This ***** **** ******** irregular ****** *****, *** mask *** ***** ***** which ** *** **** to ** ******** ** does *** ***** *** area *****.

*******, **** ************* ***** irregular ****** ** ** masked, **** ** *** polygons ***** ** *** Hanwha ****** *****.

PTZ ****** *******

**** **** ******* ***** may ** **** ** PTZ ******* ** ******** to *****. ******* ** placing * **** ** a ****** **** ** the ***** ** **** as ** ***** *******, **** mask ***** ***** ** pan/tilt/zoom ***********, ******* *** mask ** *** ****** moves *** *****. **** is ***** *****, **** the ***** ****** **** remaining ** ***** ** the ****** *****.

Static **. ******* *****

**** ******* ***** *** static, ********* ** ***** over * ****** ******. However, **** ********** **** now ********** ***** ***** dynamically ****/******** ***** ***/** bodies ** ******** ** real ****, ************ ****:

******* ******* ******* ** typically ******** *****, ****** integrated ** *** *** (e.g.,******* ********) ** *** ** *********, such ******'* ******* *********. ****** **** ******* privacy ******* ** * rare *******.*********'* *-*** ******* ************* **** ********** (***** they **** ****** ****** Removal), *** ** *** not ***** ** *** other *******.

Camera **. ****** **** ****

******* ***** *** ****** be ********** ** *** camera, ** ** *** VMS ******, **** **** certain ******** *** *********:

******: ****** *** ******* ******* are ******* ** ******** privacy ***** ** *****. This ***** *** ***** prior ** ************, ** the *** ******** *** records **** ****** *****, with ** *********** **** it *** ** ******* post-transmission. **** ****** ***** are ****** *******, *** dynamic.
******:**** *** ********* *** apply ******* ***** *** stream ** ********, ***** to ******* ** *********. This ***** ******* ** the **** ******** ** some *****, ** ******** an ************* ********, ****** this ** *** * common *******. ****** **** masking ** ********* ******, though **** **** ********** dynamic ******* ** ****.
******** *****: *******, **** ********* ********* integrate **** ***** ** provide ******* ******* *******, pixelating ****** ** *** cameras' ***** ** ****. These ********* *** **** uncommon. ******** ***** ******* is ********* *******, ****** camera ** ****** ***** masks.

Removable ****** **** **********

******** ** ****** *******, in ***** ***** ****** to ***** ****** *** mask, ****** ****/********* ******* is **** *******. ********* on *** ***/******** ************, removable ***** *** ******* a ****** ****** ** sent *** ****** **** the ******, ********** *********/******* needs. ****** *** ***** the **** **** **** from *** ****** ** the ******, *********** *** need *** ********** *******, but ********** *********** **********. Regardless ** ***** ****** is ****, ******* ** as ****** ** ****** setting * ***** ** blurred ****** ** *** camera *** ******** *****.

Privacy ******* ***********

** **** *******, *** use ** ***** *** be ******** ** ************** policy ** ***, *** as ****, *** ******* a ****** ******* ** remove. ******* ********* *** ******* masking *********** *****'* ******* **** Protection ************* *** **** ********.

Beware: **** ** ******** ****** *****

***** ****** **** ** mind **** ******* ***** block *** ***** ****** them, ** ********** ** mask * ***** ***** window *** ***** ******** passing ** ** ******* a ********, ** ******* a ****'* **** **** (below), ***** ** ******** passing *** ** ****.

Typical ************

***** *** **** ***** used ** ******* *****, to ***** ***** ******* windows ** ******* ********** and *******. ** **** cases, **** ***** *** windows **** ** ******, no ****** **** ***** of *** ******** **** are **. *******, **** municipalities **** **** ******* on *** ****** ***** and *****, ********* **** the ***** ***** ** visible ** ****** ** the ******, *** ********* has ** *********** ** privacy.

** ******** *****, **** may ** **** ** mask *** ***** ***** privacy ** ******** ** required. ** ************ **********, the ****** ** **** cell ** ***** ****** for **** *******. ** commercial **********, *******, ******* is **** ******** ****.

Masks *** ********* **********

****** *** ******, ******* ***** may ** **** ** ****** bandwidth. **** ******* ** the ***, *** ******* mask *********** ********** * "dead" ****, ********** ********* needed. *********, ******* *** be **** ** ****** an ***** ********* ** the **** ***** ******.

*******, *** **** ***.***/*.*** ***** ********* ************* ******* *** need *** ***** **********, making **** ****** **** rarer.

***** ****** ****** ***** ** **** subject*** ******** *******, ********* performance *********** ******* ******** camera *************.

[****: **** ******** *** originally ******** ** **** but ************* **-******* ** 2018 ** ******* ********** developments.]

Comments (8)

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

02/27/18 04:50pm

* **** **** **** privacy ***** ***** **** to ** ******* ** video ******** **** ***, to ****** ******* ** video ********. *** *** create ***** *** ***** what **** ****** *** polygon ** ********* ***.

***** ******** *** ************. Standard ******* ******* ** such ** ******** *******, but ** ** *** to ***** ********* *****....

jozef krivaček

02/27/18 07:57pm

* ***'* *** *** or ***** **** **** require *******. ******* ****** be ******* ** ****** which *****'* ****** ******** privacy ****. ** *** have * ***** **** masked *****, ***** *** point (** * ******** looking ** ******* ****)? Whenever ********* ******, *** cannot *** ** ** a *****.

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to jozef krivaček | 02/27/18 08:09pm

** *** *** ********** require **. * *** of *************** **** ** sources ******* ******* ** design, *.*., *** ************* covering **** ****** ** view,*** **** **** ******* scrambling ** *******. ** *** *** experts ** **** ****** in *** **** *** can't ******* ************.

**** ***** ****, *** few ********* ********** **** and ******* **** *'** seen ******* ********* *****, so ** **** ** incidents, *** ***** ** able ** ****** *** mask **** ****** *************.

jozef krivaček

In reply to Ethan Ace | 03/01/18 08:50am

******* ** *** ****** and ********* ****, ******* all ** *** ********* are ******, ******* *** financial ********* *** ***** (10mil ***/***** ***). *** if *** **** **** documentation *** ********* ** check, ***** **** **** a ********** (** **** protection *******) *** *** use ******* ******* ******* or ********** ** ****** areas. ** ******, *** still **** ** ******** the ****** ** ******** data *** ******* ** IT ********...

Tim Pickles

In reply to jozef krivaček | 03/01/18 12:57pm

**** ** *****. *** thrust ** **** ** accountability *** ******* ** personal ****. ** ****** doesn't ****** **** ** technical ************. ******** ******* and * ************** ***-** system **** ******* ***** there ** **** ****** court **** *** ** challenge ** ** ******* greater *******.

*** **** ** ** pragmatic *** ******** **** the **** **********. ***** were ** *** ************ in *** ** ***** the *** **** *** GDPR **********, ******** * massive ****-**** *** ************** by ****** "**********" *********. The **** ***** ********* gross ***** ** *** principles *** *** - never ****** **** *************. If *** ****** *** ICO's ********** *** **** up ** **** - you ***'* ** ********** and **'* * ****** as ****. **** *** never ** "********" ** a ****** ** ****** hardware - ** **'* all **** ** *** the **** ******* *** controls *** ****.

********* ******* ** ***********. We *********** * ******* version ** ******* ******* years *** **** *** this, *** * ****** custody ***** ******** ** was * *** *****, ****'* a *** ****** *** 5 ***** ***. *** only **** ***** *** that ***** ****** **** developing ** *** **** seemingly ***** ** * different ****** **** ***** UK *** ** *** a ********* ******** **** our *** ******* ***!

**** **** *** ********* masking **'* *** **** to ************* *** **** law **** *** *** to ** ***********. * think ** *** **** masking ******** * *********** of * ********* ******* you ***'* **** ** issue. ** *******, *** are ******** ******* **** a ******* ******** **** and ******* ** *******, you **** **** ** issue. *** ******* **** question ** ***** *** two ******* ******** ****, which **** ** ******* in **** *** **** time, *** ** *** off ********** ********* ******* "answers" **** ********** *** gutters *** **** **** data ********** *** *** headlines. ** ***** ******* to ******** *** **** the*********** ************* **** ** Practice. ******** **** ********** ** the **, *'* ** curious **** *** ** and ** *** **** is **********.

***** **** ** ****, the **'* **** ************* person ** **** ** Elizabeth ****** - *** Information ************ ******* *** she ****** **** ******* **** ***** *** ****** into ***********.

**** **** **-****** ****** far ****** *** ***** CCTV *** **** ****-**** cameras, ****, ******* ******* etc.

Brian Levy

02/28/18 11:28pm

** ** ********** *** works ** ******** ******** settings * *** ** for ******* ***** ***** HIPPA laws dictate **** ** ** not ****** *** *****. ** is * ****** ******* especially **** ** **** ajacent ********. * ********* like *** ********* ** blurred *******, *** **** not **** **** ** the ******* * *******.

Undisclosed Integrator #2

03/01/18 10:04am

*** *** ****** ******* looks ***********. *** * know ** ** * camera ***** **-***** ******* or * ******** ***** solution? *** *** ** offering ****?

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 03/01/18 02:29pm

** ** * ****** based ****** ***** **. Any ********* *** ****** be **** ** ** this. ********* ** **** as *** **** *** PTZ, *** ***** *** masking...

****, **** *** ***** you ** *** * zoom *********, ** **** if *** **** ** a ******* *****, **** as **** * ****** of * ***** ****** the ******, *** ******* zone ***** **. ** you **** *** ******, if ***** ***.

****** ** *** ******* have ***** ********.

(****** ********)

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