Resources

Documentation & Resources

Comprehensive guides, templates, and tools to support your privacy-aware audiovisual data workflows.

Guides

Documentation

Documentation is being developed as part of the SYNAPSIS project. Guides will be published here as they become available.

Guide Coming Soon

Getting Started

Quick-start guide for new users. Platform registration, first upload, and basic masking workflow.

15 min read Beginner

Guide Coming Soon

Face Masking Methods

Detailed comparison of face de-identification techniques: blur, pixelation, face swap, and neural methods.

25 min read Intermediate

Guide Coming Soon

Voice Anonymization

Audio de-identification methods preserving prosodic features while protecting speaker identity.

20 min read Intermediate

Guide Coming Soon

Pose Data Extraction

Extract skeletal pose data and kinematic features from masked videos for behavioral analysis.

30 min read Advanced

Guide Coming Soon

FAIR Data Archiving

Archive masked data following FAIR principles with DANS integration and metadata standards.

20 min read Intermediate

API Coming Soon

API Reference

Complete API documentation for programmatic access to masking capabilities.

REST API Advanced

Downloads

Templates & Forms

Template

Informed Consent Templates

GDPR-compliant consent forms for audiovisual data collection and de-identification. Multiple language versions.

Dutch English Markdown

EN NL

Template

Data Management Plan Template

DMP template for audiovisual research data including masking procedures, storage, and archiving plans.

FAIR NWO Format Markdown

Download

Schema

Metadata Schema

Standard metadata schema for masked audiovisual data including masking parameters and provenance information.

JSON-LD Dublin Core DANS

Download

Template

Masking Report Template

Document masking procedures, quality metrics, and compliance information for publications and ethics boards.

Markdown

Download

Tools

Code & Tools

Repository

MaskAnyone

Main platform repository with face masking, voice anonymization, and web interface components.

View on GitHub

Repository

MaskBench

Benchmarking framework for evaluating pose estimation accuracy under masking conditions.

View on GitHub

Tool

Docker Images

Pre-built Docker containers for local deployment. Currently available via repository instructions.

Setup Guide

Research

Publications

2022

Masked-Piper: Masking personal identities in visual recordings while preserving multimodal information

Owoyele, B., Trujillo, J., de Melo, G., & Pouw, W.

SoftwareX, Volume 20, 2022

Paper

2024

MaskAnyone Toolkit: Offering Strategies for Minimizing Privacy Risks and Maximizing Utility in Audio-Visual Data Archiving

Owoyele, B. A., Schilling, M., Sawahn, R., Kaemer, N., Zherebenkov, P., Verma, B., Pouw, W., & de Melo, G.

ICIS 2024 Proceedings

Paper Code

2025

MaskBench: Benchmarking Pose Estimation Under Privacy-Preserving Masking Conditions

Pouw, W., Owoyele, B., et al.

Behavior Research Methods (Preprint)

Preprint Code

TBD

SYNAPSIS Policy Paper: Privacy-Aware Audiovisual Data Sharing for SSH

SYNAPSIS Consortium

In preparation

Coming 2027

Help

Frequently Asked Questions

What video formats are supported?

SYNAPSIS supports common video formats including MP4, AVI, MOV, and MKV. Maximum file size is 10GB per video. For batch processing, you can upload multiple files simultaneously.

How long does processing take?

Processing time varies by video length and masking method. For standard face masking, expect approximately 5 minutes per minute of video. Advanced methods like face swapping may take longer. You'll receive an email notification when processing completes.

Is my data secure during processing?

Yes. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Processing occurs on SURF infrastructure within the Netherlands. Original files are automatically deleted after processing unless you opt to retain them. The platform is GDPR compliant.

Can I use SYNAPSIS for commercial purposes?

SYNAPSIS is designed for academic research. Commercial use requires a separate license agreement. Contact the project team to discuss commercial applications.

How do I cite SYNAPSIS in my research?

Please cite the SYNAPSIS platform and relevant publications:

Owoyele, B., Pouw, W., & Dingemanse, M. (2026). SYNAPSIS: A Platform for Privacy-Aware Audiovisual Data Management. [Software]. https://synapsis.nl

What if I need help with a specific use case?

Contact your local data steward or reach out to the SYNAPSIS team directly. We offer consultations for complex use cases and can arrange custom workflows for institutional pilots.

Need More Help?

Can't find what you're looking for? Our team is here to help with technical questions, use case consultations, and institutional partnerships.

Contact Support Report Issue