Oct
19
19 October 2026 · Registration open
The Masking Lab 2026
Co-creation day on privacy-preserving audiovisual data · VU Amsterdam · no fee
Register Details
NWO TDCC-SSH Project

Privacy-aware audiovisual
data for research

SYNAPSIS provides tools and training for masking sensitive information in video and audio data, enabling SSH researchers to share data while protecting privacy.

Find your starting point See masking in action
24
Months
4
Ways to Mask
7
Partners
100+
Target Trainees
Start here

Find your starting point

Open tools, training and papers for masking research video — from a light-weight run on your own laptop to precision masking and the evidence behind it.

01

Masking lite — Masked-Piper

Light-weight masking that keeps body and face kinematics. Step-by-step module on EnvisionBox; runs on any laptop.

EnvisionBox module 02

MaskAnyone

Precision masking with SAM2 in a browser interface, run locally or on a department server. Data never leaves your machine.

Code & docs 03

MaskBench

Benchmarks how well pose estimation survives masking, so you can choose a strategy with evidence.

Preprint & results 04

EnvisionBox

Open training modules for multimodal and audiovisual research methods, including masking and pose tracking.

envisionbox.org 05

Paper: Masked-Piper

Owoyele, Trujillo, de Melo & Pouw (2022). SoftwareX 20.

Read the paper 06

Paper: MaskAnyone Toolkit

Owoyele et al. (2024). Minimising privacy risk, maximising utility in AV archiving. ICIS 2024.

Read the paper 07

SYNAPSIS on Zenodo

The project proposal and open outputs, with DOIs you can cite.

Zenodo 08

Masking Lab · 19 Oct

A free co-creation day at VU Amsterdam. Bring your own masking or data-sharing dilemma.

Register

More papers, templates and code on the Resources page.

The Challenge

Privacy barriers limit data sharing

SSH researchers increasingly rely on audiovisual data to study complex human behaviours, but privacy concerns prevent sharing and reuse of this valuable data.

Current masking tools are perceived as too technical, making it difficult for researchers to adopt privacy-preserving practices.

Our Solution

Platform + Training

SYNAPSIS integrates the MaskAnyone toolkit into a user-friendly platform with SURF cloud infrastructure, making masking accessible to all researchers.

Our Masking School workshops train researchers and data stewards, building digital competence across Dutch universities.

Capabilities

What SYNAPSIS offers

Face Masking

Blur, pixelate, or replace faces while preserving research-relevant features.

Voice Masking

Alter voice characteristics to prevent speaker identification.

Body Kinematics

Extract pose data and movement analytics from masked videos.

Cloud Platform

SURF-integrated infrastructure for secure, scalable processing.

Training

Masking School workshops for researchers and data stewards.

GDPR Compliance

Tools and guidelines for privacy-compliant data sharing.

Project Structure

Work Packages

WP1

Platform Foundation & Community Engagement

Months 1-12 | MaskAnyone integration, pilot deployment, Masking School workshops

WP2

Platform Expansion, Survey & Co-Creation

Months 7-20 | Community survey, Masking Lab, policy paper, metadata standards

WP3

Platform Rollout & Roadmap

Months 18-24 | SURF deployment, Maskathon, sustainability planning

Related projects: SMASHFIRE (NWO Impact Explorer, 2026) and REDES Surveillance Sandbox (TSHD, 2026) extend the MaskingOPS framework into safety-critical and surveillance contexts.

Collaboration

Partners

Radboud
Lead Institution
Tilburg University
Body Kinematics
VU Amsterdam
Masking Lab
UvA
Training
EUR
Training
SURF
Infrastructure
DANS
Archiving
eScience Center
Sustainability
CLARIAH
Advisory
Who We Are

Team

Babajide Owoyele

Babajide Owoyele

Radboud University / HPI Potsdam

Website
Nthabiseng Shongwe

Nthabiseng Shongwe

Radboud University, ILS/DCC

Website
Bogdana Huma

Bogdana Huma

VU Amsterdam

VU Profile
Inge Slouwerhof

Inge Slouwerhof

Radboud University, RDM

Radboud
Wim Pouw

Wim Pouw

Tilburg University & Donders Institute

Tilburg Website
Wessel Stoop

Wessel Stoop

Radboud University, Humanities Lab

Radboud
Henk van den Heuvel

Henk van den Heuvel

Radboud University, CLST

Radboud CLARIN
James Trujillo

James Trujillo

UvA, ILLC

UvA Website
Mark Dingemanse

Mark Dingemanse

Radboud University

Radboud Website
Get Involved

Contact Us

Interested in using the platform, hosting a workshop, or collaborating? Get in touch with the SYNAPSIS team.

Lead
babajide.owoyele@ru.nl
Co-pilot
m.dingemanse@ru.nl

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