An integrated solution that seamlessly connects with Erasmus MC’s existing image database.
Erasmus MC
Department of Communication (Image Editing and Employer Branding)
Challenge
Erasmus MC uses visual material on a daily basis featuring patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, and other staff members as well as hired models.
Managing consent for the use of this imagery presented several challenges:
- Fragmented storage of consent forms
- No automatic link between (consent) contracts and specific images
- Insufficient visibility into the validity and expiration of consents
- Risk of GDPR violations
- Unauthorized online use of visual material
- Time-consuming processes to handle requests for withdrawal of photography
- consent
Erasmus MC needed a structured, future-proof solution to ensure control, compliance, and protection of visual content.
Solution
Verify developed an integrated solution that seamlessly connects with Erasmus MC’s existing image database.
The core of the solution consists of three components:
1. Automatic linking of consent legal basis via facial recognition
- Consent forms (contracts) are stored digitally
- Facial recognition automatically links the correct legal basis for consent to all
- images in which the individual appears
- This applies to patients, staff, professors, board members, and hired models
This creates a direct, automated relationship between:
Person → Consent → Specific images
2. Full visibility into validity and compliance
The solution makes it possible to:
- Instantly see whether an image can be used legally
- Monitor expiration dates of consents
- Receive timely signals when renewal is required
- Automatically block visual content when consent expires
- This provides Erasmus MC with full visibility into the status of all consents
registered in Verify and enables demonstrable compliance with GDPR requirements regarding purpose limitation, retention periods, and the withdrawal of consent.
3. Online monitoring via invisible watermarking
All images registered in Verify are equipped with an invisible digital watermark.
This makes it possible to:
- Locate images online worldwide
- Detect usage across websites and social media
- Quickly identify unauthorized use
- Take action when consent is withdrawn
As a result, not only is internal management fully under control, but external monitoring and enforcement are also enabled.
Results
Thanks to the implementation of Verify, Erasmus MC has achieved:
- Full visibility into all consents registered in Verify and the associated images
- Automated linking between contracts and visual content
- Structural assurance of GDPR compliance
- Reduced legal and reputational risk
- Protection against misuse of visual content online
- More efficient processes related to image usage
- 70% time savings for employees in the Communications department
In practice, Verify’s monitoring helps us track the unauthorized use of images of Erasmus MC doctors and researchers. For example, if a photo of a doctor is misused on social media to promote health products, this misuse can be quickly traced, provided the image is registered in Verify.
Images of staff and patients are now structurally protected, and Erasmus MC can more easily demonstrate compliance with legal requirements regarding consent and the use of visual material.
Customer Experience
“We have been using photos of patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, and models across our online channels for many years. However, a clear and practical overview of consent was lacking, and withdrawals of consent could not always be processed quickly. That’s why we were looking for a solution to make the process more GDPR-compliant. Our colleagues at Erasmus University introduced us to Verify.
With Verify, we can now centrally manage consents and access them in real time. When someone leaves the organization or withdraws consent, we can immediately
see which images are affected. Thanks to the integration with our image database, photos are automatically blocked as soon as consent expires or is withdrawn. In addition, Verify enables us to track unauthorized use of our images online. During an external audit, our way of working with Verify was assessed very positively. We started with the images used on our public website and have since expanded this to include images used for our employer branding activities.”