Frequently Asked Questions

Syntropi’s mission is to collect videos recorded by Syntropi Users, compile the videos, and make them available to businesses that need this type of data to train their AI models. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy.

There are no specific requirements for what your videos need to contain. However, we ask you to specifically avoid recording videos containing certain information, as we explain in these FAQs.

Yes. There are laws that apply to the recording of both videos and sound, including conversations. We provide you guidance about relevant requirements and best practices in these FAQs, but this information is not legal advice. The laws for recording video and sound are different, and it is your responsibility to comply with those laws when you record videos. If you are unsure about compliance or have any questions about your practices, please contact your legal counsel.

Whether you need to get consent depends on the state or country where you make the recording. Each state or country may have different laws governing the recording of video and sound. 

In the US, you may not need consent in some situations. For example, you may not need consent of the people you are recording when you record videos in a public setting, or another setting in which individuals do not have an expectation of privacy. 

However, if a video records individuals’ conversations, you may need to get the consent of the participants to the conversations, even if you are recording in public. 

Generally, the consent for recording sound can be “express” or “implied.” 

• Consent is “express” if the individuals can agree to be recorded by telling you it’s ok to record them. 
• Consent may be “implied” if, for example, the individuals see you, recognize that you are recording them, and continue the conversation that is being recorded. 

You should check with your legal counsel if you are unsure about what you need to do. You can also err on the side of caution by following best practices (below). As a reminder, many states and countries require consent from at least one, but possibly all the participants to the conversation that you are recording. 

We have found that a good way to avoid running afoul of laws governing the recording of video and sound is to provide individuals who speak or appear in videos with clear notice that you are recording them and request their consent before proceeding. Even in public spaces, obtaining clear consent from individuals captured in your recordings helps avoid misunderstandings. 

If you need to obtain “implied” consent for recording sound, you can let the individuals know that you are recording them with sound. If you need “express” consent, you will need the individuals’ affirmative permission to record. 

You should upload only the videos you shoot yourself. You must be the sole owner of all rights in the video to upload it to us because you are promising both to give us all those rights, and that you have them to give. 

Unless you and your collaborators have a contract assigning all rights in the video to you, you may violate our Contributor Agreement and infringe your collaborator’s intellectual property rights by uploading a collaborative project.

Yes. We ask you to avoid recording the following content:

• Videos with sound where individuals disclose detailed personal information about themselves. We strive to avoid collecting personal information and ask you to keep this in mind. Videos should not include conversations where individuals disclose credit card or financial information, address information, contact information (e.g., email addresses, phone numbers), as well as details about their health, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.
• Videos without sound that visually record or document the kinds of personal information listed above (e.g., financial information, address information, etc.). 
• Videos that include the private conversations of individuals. You may focus instead on general, public content where individuals would not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
• Videos that intentionally include children. If you record videos in public spaces, your videos may inadvertently include children. However, when possible, you should avoid intentionally recording children in your videos unless you have obtained the consent from their parents.
• Videos recorded in sensitive locations, such as bathrooms, locker rooms, health clinics, doctor’s offices, or other locations where individuals would not expect to be recorded. Videos should not record individuals in or around medical facilities of any kind. We ask you to respect individuals’ reasonable expectation of privacy.