In an age of radical transparency and facial recognition databases, the act of covering one’s face is a radical, disruptive move. For the social media ecosystem, a covered face is the most valuable asset in a viral video.
: The Right to be Forgotten in a Viral World: Analyzing Privacy Loopholes in Social Media Documentation. In an age of radical transparency and facial
Conversely, social media functions as a decentralized accountability system. If a police officer uses excessive force or a driver hits a pedestrian and flees, the face is evidence. Covering the face is seen as a violation of the social contract: "If you act in public, you consent to being seen." The discussion gets heated when users argue that "maskers" have something to hide, conflating privacy with guilt. The Right to Disappear: Navigating the Trauma of
The Right to Disappear: Navigating the Trauma of Becoming an Involuntary Viral Meme conflating privacy with guilt.
This focuses on how hidden faces change the way social media users interact with and judge content, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you need a breakdown of related to video engagement
