YouTuber and agitator David Santos has once again generated controversy and rejection by sharing on his official X account an unpixelated photograph of a victim of the recent train accident in Gelida (Barcelona), explicitly exposing a person affected by the incident. This publication adds to his controversial history on social media.
The accident occurred this Tuesday when a train on the R4 line of Rodalies de Catalunya, which was traveling between Gelida and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, derailed after colliding with a retaining wall that had collapsed onto the tracks due to the heavy rainstorm affecting the entire region. The train driver died in the incident and at least fifteen people were injured, some with serious injuries, while other rail services have been disrupted.
This publication showing a victim without any identity protection is being heavily criticized by users for violating the right to privacy and dignity at such a delicate moment. The use of sensitive images without consent in tragic contexts also contradicts the rules of major social media platforms, which recommend pixelating or blurring faces when sharing photographs of any person to avoid collateral damage.
This is not the first time Santos has used such tragedies to spread hoaxes and disinformation. During the flood caused by the DANA in Valencia in October 2024, he was one of the profiles that spread —even before official inspections confirmed it— false versions about the appearance of victims in the underground parking lot of the Bonaire shopping center, claiming, without any evidence, that dozens of bodies had already been recovered. Similar narratives continue to emerge on networks and channels aligned with this specific ideological spectrum without any rigor or ethics.