Home / Guides / Protect sources on cameraProtect a source without their footage leaving your laptop
When a source agrees to talk but not to be identified, the edit has to be airtight. A cloud blur tool means uploading sensitive footage to someone else’s servers, and a mask that drifts for even a few frames can expose the person you promised to protect. HideFace runs entirely on your own machine and tracks each face across the whole clip.
Cover everyone, or keep the people who consented and hide the rest. The export is flattened, so there is no recoverable original in the file you publish or hand to an editor.
Download HideFace for Windows
See it in action
Before
After
Cover the people who did not consent, keep the ones on the record
Key facts
Fully offline: footage is never uploaded to a third-party server
Tracks each face across the whole clip, not just the first frame
Cover everyone, or keep the people who agreed to be on the record
The export is flattened, with no recoverable face in the file
Works on both stills and video
How to protect a source in footage
Open the footage on your own machine.
HideFace detects and tracks every face.
Keep the people who consented and cover the rest.
Export a safe cut to publish or hand off. Nothing is uploaded.
Why local matters here
No upload means no third party holding a copy of sensitive footage.
Frame-by-frame tracking keeps a source covered through the whole clip.
A flattened export cannot be reversed once the piece is published.
Frequently asked questions
Is the footage ever uploaded to a server? No. HideFace runs entirely on your own device with no uploads and no cloud, so sensitive footage never leaves your computer.
Does the cover hold across the whole clip? Yes. Each face is tracked frame by frame, so a source stays covered as they move and the shot changes.
Can I keep on-record people visible and hide the rest? Yes. Keep the faces that consented and cover everyone else.
Can the cover be reversed from the published file? No. The export is flattened into the pixels, so there is no recoverable original underneath.
Does it also disguise voices? No. HideFace covers faces; it does not change audio, so handle voice protection separately if a source needs it.
Related guides
Blur faces in video
Blur faces in screenshots
Post anonymously
All guides
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Download HideFace for Windows
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