Contents of this article:
- What is the Anonymisation Filter?
- Anonymise during Recording
- Anonymisation after Recording
- Sharing an Anonymised Recording
What is the Anonymisation Filter?
There may be circumstances where you wish to obscure the identity of people in your recordings. To enable you to continue to reflect on your practice and share reflections for feedback we have created the anonymisation filter (previously called cartoon mode).
Anonymise during Recording
You can enable Anonymisation mode from within the mobile IRIS Connect Record app. The feature can be enabled by the user before starting a recording or it can be enabled as the default for all recordings if requested by the Organisation Administrator. Please contact our support team if you wish to request this.
To enable the feature from inside the app, you will find the toggle under the camera settings before starting a recording.
WARNING! Recording with the filter is permanent.
If the anonymise filter is enabled whilst recording, there is no way to undo this. There will be no non-anonymised version of the recording made.
How to turn on the filter in the Record App
You can enable anonymise mode by pressing the settings button when you are on the camera screen before starting the recording.
There is a toggle for turning this feature Off or On within this menu.
Update to Record App Anonymisation Filter
In response to user feedback, we have enhanced our anonymisation feature. The updated functionality uses facial recognition technology to dynamically adjust video filtering in real time. It automatically applies the minimum level of filtering required to maintain anonymity, providing an improved balance between privacy and video clarity.
We conducted a structured beta testing programme as part of the development process, in which participants trialled the feature and provided detailed feedback. All feedback during the trial was positive, with no concerns raised. Participants reported improved watchability and clearer visibility of classroom activity, while confirming that individual privacy was maintained.
We also worked in partnership with Teach First to refine the feature. Teach First has confirmed that the updated filter meets their privacy requirements and supports improved video clarity.
The enhanced filter applies increasing levels as individuals move closer to the recording device or as more faces are detected within the frame (shown below).
If you dont yet have the updated filter please update your device - see here
NOTE: The AI anonymisation filter is only available if applied whilst recording
A post-recording filter can be applied but it will add a highest level filter to the whole video (making it white and black)
Placement Advice for the AI anonymisation filter
To avoid the higher level filters being applied during the video, aim to place the recording device away from any faces. This is usually at the back of the room and or up high. This is a good example where most of the recording was captured with the lower level filters
Anonymise after Recording
If you haven't set the filter during your recording you are able to set it on your reflection via the web platform.
To anonymise a reflection, click the Review button on your Reflection preview.
Then, select the Privacy tab.
Under 'Reflection Privacy' select Anonymise within 'Video Mode', then click Update Video Mode to finalize.
NOTE: Processing Time for the Filter
Because this process is quite intensive, there will be a delay as the video is converted. This will depend upon the length of the recording and the amount of other files also being processed at that time.
As a general rule, the processing time will be about half the length of the video, so for a 1 hour video, the processing time is about 30 minutes.
Example of a recording with post recording anonymisation filer applied:
Sharing an Anonymised Recording
If you have a recording without the anonymisation filter set you can either:
1) Set the original recording to Anonymise as per the steps above then share the reflection.
2) If you want to keep a version of the reflection unanonymised whilst sharing an anonymised one then the easiest way to do this is to create a copy of the recording. Then, set the new reflection to anonymise. You can then share this reflection whilst reviewing the unfiltered one.
NOTE: Removing the filter
If you remove the anonymisation filter on the reflection, all users who you have shared the reflection to will also see the recording without the filter.
Make sure you either unshare the reflection before removing the filter or create a copy of the reflection as described above so you can have a shared anonymised recording and unfilter one.