Facial recognition is at the heart of Sportpxl’s identification engine. Understanding how it works allows you to better configure your albums, interpret the results, and understand your responsibilities towards your participants.
How facial recognition works #
When you import photos, Sportpxl analyses each image and detects the faces present. For each face detected, it generates a facial fingerprint — a unique mathematical representation of the face, which does not correspond to a photo but to a set of geometric characteristics (eye spacing, nose shape, face contour, etc.).
These fingerprints are then compared with each other across all the photos in the album. Two fingerprints that are sufficiently similar are considered to belong to the same person — this mechanism allows Sportpxl to automatically group all photos of the same athlete, even without a bib number.
What influences the quality of recognition #
The reliability of facial recognition depends directly on the quality of the photos provided:
- Sharpness — a blurred face generates a poor-quality fingerprint or no detection at all.
- Angle — a front or three-quarter view gives better results than a strict profile or a view from behind.
- Occlusion — full-face helmets, balaclavas, mirrored glasses, and scarves covering the nose significantly reduce reliability.
- Brightness — an underexposed or backlit face impairs detection
- Size in frame — a face that is too small in the image may not be detected
💡 The more clear photos you have of the same face in the album, the more accurate the recognition will be. A photocall at the start of the event provides ideal reference photos — see the article “Getting the most out of algorithms with photocalls”.
The limits of technology #
Facial recognition is not infallible. Certain situations can lead to errors or non-detections:
- Twins or participants who look very similar may be confused.
- An athlete whose face does not appear in any of the photos in the album will not be identified.
- A significant change in appearance between two events (beard, glasses, hairstyle) can create two distinct profiles for the same person.
These cases remain few and far between and can be corrected manually from “My athletes”.
Facial recognition and GDPR #
Facial prints are biometric data within the meaning of the GDPR — they benefit from enhanced protection. As a photographer using Sportpxl, you are the data controller for the data collected during your events.
Your main responsibilities:
- Inform participants about the use of facial recognition, ideally in the event rules or upon registration.
- Respond to deletion requests within 30 days — see the article "Hide or delete an athlete's photos"
- Do not retain data longer than necessary
Sportpxl acts as a subcontractor: it processes data on your behalf and is contractually bound to comply with the applicable legal framework.
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