MyFaceGuard launches a platform for managing photo use

After a company event there are hundreds of photos, but which ones can be used publicly? Responses may be scattered across e-mails and forms, while several teams work with the images. The Latvian startup MyFaceGuard has started offering organisations a platform that helps them agree on the use of photos with the people shown in them and keep their responses in one place. Users' identity is verified on the platform, and an optional facial recognition feature helps them find the photos they appear in faster.

On the platform, organisations can send photo use requests to employees, clients, partners and event participants. It lets marketing, communications, HR and data protection teams review the responses received, the selected channels of use and any changes to decisions.

One of the platform's main uses is managing the use of employee photos. Photos help show company culture, the work environment and the team. However, taking part in an event or being photographed does not mean that a person wants to see their image on the company's social media. Uncertainty can also arise later, when a photo is to be reused or another colleague works with it.

Working in marketing, I know how important real people and shared moments are in a company's story. At the same time, behind every photo there is a person with their own wishes. We are building MyFaceGuard so that companies can easily find out and respect people's choices about the use of their photos in everyday work.

— Eva Luksa, co-founder and CEO of MyFaceGuard

The organisation uploads photos to the platform, specifies for what purposes and in which channels – for example social media or the website – they are intended to be used, and sends a request to the people shown in the images. The recipient can allow or refuse the use of photos in which they appear, and can later withdraw the permission given. The platform records the current status of each photo and keeps a history of actions related to managing its use.

This is also useful when a photo is to be reused months or years later. The responsible team can check the current permission status of the person shown in the image.

A photo in which a person is identifiable is personal data, and the employer must assess the purpose of its use and the appropriate legal basis. Depending on the situation, this may be, for example, consent or legitimate interests, observing the conditions for applying each legal basis and the employee's rights. An organised process helps make well-founded decisions about the use of photos.

— Agnese Gusarova, lawyer and data protection expert

To make reviewing large photo albums easier, MyFaceGuard also offers an optional facial recognition feature. Users can save their face template and use it to find the images they appear in faster and decide on their use. Separately, a user can allow a specific organisation to use this feature to find them in the photos it uploads.

Book a demo or sign up for a trial.

Meet us at the HR Nedēļa Latvija conference

A chance to meet us in person: on 14 October at 15:05 MyFaceGuard will speak on the IF stage at the HR Nedēļa Latvija conference. See the programme.