YouTube adds Face Blur tool for protecting anonymity in videos

Élyse Betters | Jul 18 2012 - 8:53 am PT

YouTube just launched a face-blurring feature for when “footage requires anonymity.”

The new addition to the video-sharing platform is self-explanatory. It is a tool that allows users to muddle faces in videos with just the click of a button.

“Whether you want to share sensitive protest footage without exposing the faces of the activists involved, or share the winning point in your 8-year-old’s basketball game without broadcasting the children’s faces to the world, our face blurring technology is a first step towards providing visual anonymity for video on YouTube,” explained the official YouTube Blog.

To blur faces: Go to Additional Features under Video Enhancements, and then click the “Apply” button below Blur All Faces. Users can see a preview before publishing, and a new copy is created with the blurred faces when saved. Users have the option to delete the original video.

YouTube warned that the tool is an “emerging technology,” so Face Blur may have difficulty auto-detecting faces.

Get the full breakdown at the official YouTube Blog.

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