Was it necessary to pixelate the faces of the influencers?

The National Police reported last Tuesday morning the arrest of two Spanish influencers accused of taking advantage of their popularity on social networks to attract minors, drug them and rape them. It didn’t take long to realize that it was the so-called Petazetaz duo, formed by José Hernán A. and Iván G., aged 34 and 21.

Despite the wide visibility of the couple of streamers on social networks, the newspaper decided to blur their faces in the photograph of the two that accompanied the information. Numerous readers questioned the decision on social media. “This taking care of the privacy of these characters seems unfortunate to me”, complained Judy Bustamante to X. “Why do they hide their faces, they are well-known?”, reprimanded another user. Also in the information published on Instagram there were readers who did not understand the decision. Reader Dani Rodríguez commented on the newspaper’s profile on this social network: “These two people are free right now, I see no reason to cover their faces. They are a danger to any woman who encounters them.” Another reader asked us not to hide their faces because “they are not victims”.

Given that the detainees themselves freely spread their videos on both TikTok and Instagram and broadcast live to reach the largest possible audience, it is understandable that readers wonder what the point of blurring their faces was.

But there were several factors that, combined, led the newspaper to make this decision. The first is that, despite the seriousness of the facts of which they are accused, they have not come to trial nor, logically, have they been convicted. It was added that the photograph that was published – once confirmed by police sources that it was indeed the detainees – had its origin in their social networks. The newspaper considered that the image had clear informational value and deserved to be published, along with the name by which the streamers were called on social networks, as well as their first names, initials of surnames and their ages.

But at the same time he assessed that, as is done in many other cases where you have access to personal images from social networks, prudence should prevail in the use of these.