YouTube has launched the face blurring tool in its commitment towards offering anonymity when required as citizens continue to play a critical role in supplying news and human rights footage from around the world.

The issue of identity protection is consequently becoming increasingly sensitive. According to the international human rights organization WITNESS’ Cameras Everywhere report, “No video-sharing site or hardware manufacturer currently offers users the option to blur faces or protect identity.”

This new tool allows users to obscure faces within videos with the click of a button.

YouTube aims to be a destination where people all over the world come to share their stories, including activists. Along with efforts like the Human Rights Channel and Citizentube that curate these voices, the online video sharing site hopes that the new technologies will facilitate the sharing of even more stories on its platform.