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 *** ******* **** Protection ********** (****)

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

  • ****** ** *********** ********* masks
  • ****** ** ***** *******
  • *** ****** *******
  • ****** ** ******* *****
  • ****** ** ****** **** masks
  • ********* *** ******* *******
  • ********* ****** *****
  • ***** ** ******** ****** video
  • ********* *********

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

********

******* ***** ******* ********* from ******* ***** **** should *** ** *********. There *** *** ***** ways ***** ***** *** obscured:

  • ******:** **** *****, ** 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 ** ***** *******, PTZs **** ***** ***** on ***/****/**** ***********, ******* the **** ** *** imager ***** *** *****. This ** ***** *****, with *** ***** ****** mask ********* ** ***** as *** ****** *****.

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

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

******* ******* ******* ** typically ******** *****, ****** integrated ** *** *** (e.g.,******* ********) ** *** ** analytics, **** ******'* ******* *********. ****** **** ******* 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 *** ********* **********

****** *** ******, ******* masks *** ** **** to ****** *********. **** applied ** *** ***, the ******* **** *********** represents * "****" ****, minimizing ********* ******. *********, masking *** ** **** to ****** ** ***** precisely ** *** **** being ******.

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

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

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

Comments (8)

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

02/27/18 04:50pm

* **** **** **** ******* ***** ***** **** ** ** created ** ***** ******** **** ***, ** ****** ******* ** video ********. *** *** ****** ***** *** ***** **** **** period *** ******* ** ********* ***.

***** ******** *** ************. ******** ******* ******* ** **** ** standard *******, *** ** ** *** ** ***** ********* *****....

Avatar

jozef krivaček

02/27/18 07:57pm

* ***'* *** *** ** ***** **** **** ******* *******. Cameras ****** ** ******* ** ****** ***** *****'* ****** ******** privacy ****. ** *** **** * ***** **** ****** *****, whats *** ***** (** * ******** ******* ** ******* ****)? Whenever ********* ******, *** ****** *** ** ** * *****.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

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

** *** *** ********** ******* **. * *** ** *************** from ** ******* ******* ******* ** ******, *.*., *** ************* covering **** ****** ** ****,*** **** **** ******* ********** ** *******. ** *** *** ******* ** **** ****** ** *** GDPR *** ***'* ******* ************.

**** ***** ****, *** *** ********* ********** **** *** ******* that *'** **** ******* ********* *****, ** ** **** ** incidents, *** ***** ** **** ** ****** *** **** **** proper *************.

Avatar

jozef krivaček

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

******* ** *** ****** *** ********* ****, ******* *** ** our ********* *** ******, ******* *** ********* ********* *** ***** (10mil ***/***** ***). *** ** *** **** **** ************* *** processes ** *****, ***** **** **** * ********** (** **** protection *******) *** *** *** ******* ******* ******* ** ********** in ****** *****. ** ******, *** ***** **** ** ******** the ****** ** ******** **** *** ******* ** ** ********...

Avatar

Tim Pickles

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

**** ** *****. *** ****** ** **** ** ************** *** control ** ******** ****. ** ****** *****'* ****** **** ** technical ************. ******** ******* *** * ************** ***-** ****** **** suffice ***** ***** ** **** ****** ***** **** *** ** challenge ** ** ******* ******* *******.

*** **** ** ** ********* *** ******** **** *** **** protection. ***** **** ** *** ************ ** *** ** ***** the *** **** *** **** **********, ******** * ******* ****-**** and ************** ** ****** "**********" *********. *** **** ***** ********* gross ***** ** *** ********** *** *** - ***** ****** line *************. ** *** ****** *** ***'* ********** *** **** up ** **** - *** ***'* ** ********** *** **'* a ****** ** ****. **** *** ***** ** "********" ** a ****** ** ****** ******** - ** **'* *** **** to *** *** **** ******* *** ******** *** ****.

********* ******* ** ***********. ** *********** * ******* ******* ** Viconet ******* ***** *** **** *** ****, *** * ****** custody ***** ******** ** *** * *** *****, ****'* * bad ****** *** * ***** ***. *** **** **** ***** was **** ***** ****** **** ********** ** *** **** ********* lived ** * ********* ****** **** ***** ** *** ** and * ********* ******** **** *** *** ******* ***!

**** **** *** ********* ******* **'* *** **** ** ************* and **** *** **** *** *** ** ** ***********. * think ** *** **** ******* ******** * *********** ** * terrorist ******* *** ***'* **** ** *****. ** *******, *** are ******** ******* **** * ******* ******** **** *** ******* on *******, *** **** **** ** *****. *** ******* **** question ** ***** *** *** ******* ******** ****, ***** **** be ******* ** **** *** **** ****, *** ** *** off ********** ********* ******* "*******" **** ********** *** ******* *** last **** **** ********** *** *** *********. ** ***** ******* to ******** *** **** ************** ************* **** ** ********.******** **** ********** ** *** **, *'* ** ******* **** the ** *** ** *** **** ** **********.

***** **** ** ****, *** **'* **** ************* ****** ** this ** ********* ****** - *** *********** ************ ******* *** she ********** *********** ***** *** ****** **** ***********.

**** **** **-****** ****** *** ****** *** ***** **** *** into ****-**** *******, ****, ******* ******* ***.

Avatar

Brian Levy

02/28/18 11:28pm

** ** ********** *** ***** ** ******** ******** ******** * use ** *** ******* ***** ***** ***** **** ******* **** we ** *** ****** *** *****. ** ** * ****** feature ********** **** ** **** ******* ********. * ********* **** the ********* ** ******* *******, *** **** *** **** **** on *** ******* * *******.

Undisclosed Integrator #2

03/01/18 10:04am

*** *** ****** ******* ***** ***********. *** * **** ** is * ****** ***** **-***** ******* ** * ******** ***** solution? *** *** ** ******** ****?

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

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

** ** * ****** ***** ****** ***** **. *** ********* PTZ ****** ** **** ** ** ****. ********* ** **** as *** **** *** ***, *** ***** *** *******...

****, **** *** ***** *** ** *** * **** *********, so **** ** *** **** ** * ******* *****, **** as **** * ****** ** * ***** ****** *** ******, the ******* **** ***** **. ** *** **** *** ******, if ***** ***.

****** ** *** ******* **** ***** ********.

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

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