Video Privacy Mask Tutorial

Author: 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

********** ************ **** ***** ******* ** *** ************ ********, ********** in ****** ************ ******* ***** ******* *** ** ******* ** residential *****. **** ** ******** **** * ******* ******* ** the ** ********** *** ******* **** ********** ********** (****)

******* ***** *** * ******* ****** ********* ** ******* *** some ***** **** **** ** ******* *******. ** **** ********, we *******:

  • ****** ** *********** ********* *****
  • ****** ** ***** *******
  • *** ****** *******
  • ****** ** ******* *****
  • ****** ** ****** **** *****
  • ********* *** ******* *******
  • ********* ****** *****
  • ***** ** ******** ****** *****
  • ********* *********

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

********

******* ***** ******* ********* **** ******* ***** **** ****** *** be *********. ***** *** *** ***** **** ***** ***** *** obscured:

  • ******:** **** *****, ** ****** ***/******* ** ***** **** *** area ** ** ******, ********* ****** ** * ***** *****. No ******** ** ******* *** ** **** ** *** ****** area.

  • ***********/*********:**** *******/*** ***** ***** ** ******** ******* ******* ** ******* blanking **** *** ***** * ***** *****. **** ****** * rough **** ** ******** ****** *** **** ******* ********** *******. For *******, * ****** *** ** **** ****** *****, *** no ******* ** ***** **** ** ***** ********.

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

**** ******* *** ********* ***** ******** ******* ***** ** ** defined, ** **** ***** **** ********* ****** ** ************ ******** for ****. **** ****** *** ******** *****/******* ** ** ******* or *** ******* ***** ** ******** ********* ** ** ******* without ******** ****** ** *******.

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

*** ******** ** ******/******** ************* ***** **** *********** ***** ** be *******. **** ***** **** ******** ********* ****** *****, *** mask *** ***** ***** ***** ** *** **** ** ** obscured ** **** *** ***** *** **** *****.

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

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

**** **** ******* ***** *** ** **** ** *** ******* in ******** ** *****. ******* ** ******* * **** ** a ****** **** ** *** ***** ** **** ** ** fixed *******, **** **** ***** ***** ** ***/****/**** ***********, ******* the **** ** *** ****** ***** *** *****. **** ** shown *****, **** *** ***** ****** **** ********* ** ***** as *** ****** *****.

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

**** ******* ***** *** ******, ********* ** ***** **** * giving ******. *******, **** ********** **** *** ********** ***** ***** dynamically ****/******** ***** ***/** ****** ** ******** ** **** ****, demonstrated ****:

******* ******* ******* ** ********* ******** *****, ****** ********** ** the *** (*.*.,******* ********) ** *** ** *********, **** ******'* ******* *********. ****** **** ******* ******* ******* ** * **** *******.*********'* *-*** ******* ************* **** ********** (***** **** **** ****** ****** *******), *** we *** *** ***** ** *** ***** *******.

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

******* ***** *** ****** ** ********** ** *** ******, ** on *** *** ******, **** **** ******* ******** *** *********:

  • ******:****** *** ******* ******* *** ******* ** ******** ******* ***** on *****. **** ***** *** ***** ***** ** ************, ** the *** ******** *** ******* **** ****** *****, **** ** possibility **** ** *** ** ******* ****-************. **** ****** ***** are ****** *******, *** *******.
  • ******:**** *** ********* *** ***** ******* ***** *** ****** ** received, ***** ** ******* ** *********. **** ***** ******* ** the **** ******** ** **** *****, ** ******** ** ************* password, ****** **** ** *** * ****** *******. ****** **** masking ** ********* ******, ****** **** **** ********** ******* ******* as ****.
  • ******** *****:*******, **** ********* ********* ********* **** ***** ** ******* ******* privacy *******, ********** ****** ** *** *******' ***** ** ****. These ********* *** **** ********. ******** ***** ******* ** ********* dynamic, ****** ****** ** ****** ***** *****.

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

******** ** ****** *******, ** ***** ***** ****** ** ***** remove *** ****, ****** ****/********* ******* ** **** *******. ********* on *** ***/******** ************, ********* ***** *** ******* * ****** stream ** **** *** ****** **** *** ******, ********** *********/******* needs. ****** *** ***** *** **** **** **** **** *** server ** *** ******, *********** *** **** *** ********** *******, but ********** *********** **********. ********** ** ***** ****** ** ****, neither ** ** ****** ** ****** ******* * ***** ** blurred ****** ** *** ****** *** ******** *****.

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

** **** *******, *** *** ** ***** *** ** ******** by ************** ****** ** ***, *** ** ****, *** ******* a ****** ******* ** ******. ******* ********* *** ******* ****************** *****'* ******* **** ********** ************* *** **** ********.

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

***** ****** **** ** **** **** ******* ***** ***** *** video ****** ****, ** ********** ** **** * ***** ***** window *** ***** ******** ******* ** ** ******* * ********, or ******* * ****'* **** **** (*****), ***** ** ******** passing *** ** ****.

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

***** *** **** ***** **** ** ******* *****, ** ***** views ******* ******* ** ******* ********** *** *******. ** **** cases, **** ***** *** ******* **** ** ******, ** ****** what ***** ** *** ******** **** *** **. *******, **** municipalities **** **** ******* ** *** ****** ***** *** *****, reasoning **** *** ***** ***** ** ******* ** ****** ** the ******, *** ********* *** ** *********** ** *******.

** ******** *****, **** *** ** **** ** **** *** areas ***** ******* ** ******** ** ********. ** ************ **********, the ****** ** **** **** ** ***** ****** *** **** purpose. ** ********** **********, *******, ******* ** **** ******** ****.

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

****** *** ******, ******* ***** *** ** **** ** ****** bandwidth. **** ******* ** *** ***, *** ******* **** *********** represents * "****" ****, ********** ********* ******. *********, ******* *** be **** ** ****** ** ***** ********* ** *** **** being ******.

*******, *** **** ***.***/*.*** ***** ********* ************* ******* *** **** *** ***** **********, ****** **** method **** *****.

***** ****** ****** ***** ** **** ********** ******** *******, ********* *********** *********** ******* ******** ****** *************.

[****: **** ******** *** ********** ******** ** **** *** ************* re-written ** **** ** ******* ********** ************.]

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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