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Man who let daily print his name said obscured photo breached privacy

A man who consented to a regional daily printing his full name claimed his privacy was breached because of an accompanying partially-obscured photograph.

James Thompson had approached the Plymouth Herald about a story after he was rescued following a month spent reportedly living in an underground tunnel.

But Mr Thompson claimed a darkened photo used to illustrate the piece was not dark enough, and he was recognised by several people who were unaware he had been missing.

Complaining to the Independent Press Standards Organisation under Clause 2 (Privacy) of the Editors’ Code of Practice, he said the Herald had agreed to darken his face completely in the picture.

The tunnel where Mr Thompson was found

The tunnel where Mr Thompson was found

The Herald responded that the photograph adequately obscured Mr Thompsons’s face as agreed prior to publication, and it did not believe that the complainant was identifiable from this photograph alone.

The newspaper noted he had consented to his full name being published, which also identified him, and stated that his identification in connection to this story was well-known as several unobscured pictures of his face had been widely circulated by various media outlets prior to his rescue, as part of a missing person appeal.

Mr Thompson had rejected an offer by the Herald to remove the online version of the article.

IPSO found that in circumstances where Mr Thompson had consented to his full name being published, and his identity and appearance was widely known due to a missing person appeal, he did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in relation to his identity as the person involved in the incident.

The complain was not upheld, and the full adjudication can be read here.