Applet - Consent Form
Version 2.0 – Live August 20th, 2026
Consent Form – RideFlag Testing Program
Introduction
You are being invited to take part in a testing program led by RideFlag Technologies (RideFlag). Please read this information carefully before deciding whether to participate. You may take as much time as you need to make your decision. You are encouraged to ask RideFlag explain anything you do not understand and to ensure that all your questions are answered before signing this consent form. You are also free to discuss this testing program with anyone you wish. Participation in this testing program is entirely voluntary.
About RideFlag Technologies Inc.
RideFlag is a Canadian company based in Mississauga, Ontario, focused on reducing CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A major challenge faced by transportation agencies is verifying vehicle occupancy to determine eligibility for carpool benefits when traveling in managed lanes; however, incumbent technology to date has fallen short in meeting their needs.
RideFlag is developing an easy-to-use smartphone application designed to accurately verify the number of occupants in a carpool vehicle to support fair and effective use of managed lanes.
Background
High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are reserved for vehicles carrying multiple passengers to help reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions. Enforcing these lanes is challenging with current manual methods—some drivers attempt to deceive the system by using dummy passengers (mannequins) or images to fake compliance. These issues highlight the need for an automated carpool authentication system capable of verifying the presence of real human passengers.
This task is particularly challenging in mobile, real-world environments. Images of car interiors may be captured under uncontrolled conditions—such as varying lighting (bright sunlight, nighttime, glare), motion blur, or obstructions (sunglasses, window reflections). Unlike controlled login scenarios (e.g., smartphone unlocking), this system must operate from a distance, across different angles, and without specialized sensors.
Objective
The objective of this testing program is to determine whether a detected face in an image represents a live human or a fake representation (e.g., printed photo, digital video, mannequin).
Purpose
The purpose of this testing program is to collect data to build an appropriate database that will allow us to simulate and test novel fake face detection techniques. The data collected will be used to develop and improve models intended to reliably distinguish real human faces from fake faces in practical carpool authentication scenarios.
Testing Program Details
Facial videos will be collected under three different lighting conditions: high ambient, medium ambient, and low ambient. In each condition, the recorded video should include at least three faces, one of which must be a fake face (e.g., printed photo, digital video, mannequin).
The entire data collection session will last approximately 5-10 minutes. The applet will guide the participant through the testing program and instruct them how to rotate their heads, allowing their face to be captured from multiple angles to maximize data collection. Participants will then be asked to self-label the faces at the end of the session.
Although testing may be done in any preferred location, using the applet inside a vehicle is encouraged.
The data collected will include:
A full-length MP4 video recorded at 30 FPS.
Approximately 30 unique JPEG images (10 from each lighting condition) extracted from the video that meet facial angle requirements.
Corresponding labels for each image, including classifications and bounding boxes for each detected face.
Reminders:
Ask the testing program team about anything that concerns or confuses you.
Inform the testing program team if you change your mind about participating at any time.
Participants are responsible for ensuring that participation complies with all applicable local laws and that testing is conducted safely and not while operating a vehicle.
Voluntary Participation
Participation is voluntary. You may choose not to participate or withdraw from the testing program at any time without penalty or loss of benefits. You may also refuse to perform any activity you find uncomfortable.
Eligibility
Participants must be at least 18 years of age to provide consent independently.
Individuals under the age of 18 may participate only if a parent or legal guardian reviews this Consent Form and provides consent on their behalf. By providing consent for a minor, the parent or legal guardian confirms that they have the legal authority to consent to the collection and use of the minor’s facial images and related data as described in this Consent Form.
Additional Participants and Third-Party Consent
Any real person whose face is captured during the testing session in a photograph, video recording, or extracted image must provide informed consent for the collection and use of their image prior to participation.
By signing this form, you confirm that:
You will not record or submit images or videos containing the face of any individual who has not provided their explicit consent to participate and to the use of their photographic likeness as described in this form; and
Any additional real person whose face appears in the recordings has reviewed and agreed to the same terms outlined in this consent form.
Individuals who do not wish to provide consent must not appear in any images or recordings submitted as part of this testing program.
You are solely responsible for ensuring that any additional real person whose face appears in recordings has personally reviewed and agreed to this consent form prior to participation.
Privacy and Confidentiality
All data collected during the testing program will be stored using coded identifiers kept in a database with a code that will not indicate any information that directly identifies you. You will not be identified in any internal reports, summaries, or presentations that may come from this testing program. Limited demographic information, such as age range and gender, may be collected for research, reporting, validation, and model evaluation purposes.
If any data collected is shared with transportation agencies, appropriate confidentiality, anonymization, and encryption safeguards will be applied.
Nature of Biometric Information
Facial images and videos collected as part of this testing program may be considered biometric information under applicable privacy laws. By participating, you acknowledge that you are voluntarily providing facial imagery and related data for the research, testing, development, and commercial improvement purposes described in this Consent Form.
Data Storage Location
All identifiable data collected during this testing program will be securely stored and processed using cloud-based infrastructure. While RideFlag is a Canadian company, data may be stored or processed in jurisdictions outside of Canada depending on the location of our service providers. RideFlag uses technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse.
Data Retention
Identifiable raw data, including video recordings and extracted images, may be retained indefinitely for ongoing research, validation, model improvement, auditing, and product development purposes unless you request deletion as described in this Consent Form.
De-identified datasets, aggregated information, and trained machine learning models may also be retained indefinitely.
Commercial Use
The data collected may be used to develop, test, improve, validate, and deploy RideFlag Technologies’ commercial products and services, including applications provided to transportation and tolling agencies for managed lane and carpool authentication purposes.
RideFlag Technologies does not sell identifiable participant data to third parties.
Risks
There are no known medical or physical risks associated with participation in this testing program.
However, participation involves the collection of facial imagery and related data, which may present privacy or confidentiality risks. While RideFlag Technologies implements technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect collected data, as with any digital system, some level of risk cannot be entirely eliminated.
There is also a possibility that machine learning systems trained using collected data may retain learned patterns derived from participant data, even if individual images are later deleted.
Benefits
You will receive an incentive distributed by Prolific as compensation for your participation. While there are no direct personal benefits beyond this, your contribution will help RideFlag improve the fairness and reliability of managed lanes by strengthening the accuracy of our technology to verify legitimate carpool use.
Costs
It will not cost you anything to participate in RideFlag’s Fake Face Detection for Carpool Lane Authentication Testing Program.
Questions about the Testing Program
If you have any questions, please contact RideFlag at: support@rideflag.com
Consent
After reviewing the information provided in this Consent Form, you can confirm that:
You have read and understood the information provided in this Consent Form to Participate.
You understand that images and videos of your face will be collected and used for user research, testing, and development of fake face detection models by RideFlag Technologies.
You understand that the collected data may be used to train, evaluate, and improve RideFlag’s machine learning and artificial intelligence systems for commercial and user research purposes, as described in this form.
You understand that trained AI models may retain learned patterns from the data even if individual images are later deleted.
You understand that you may withdraw from participation at any time, as described above.
You voluntarily agree to participate in the Fake Face Detection for Carpool Lane Authentication Testing Program.