Netflix is under fire from critics and has just created a heated controversy around one of its flagship new releases of the month. The company with the red N played with fire and is getting burned.
Like every month, Netflix offers dozens and dozens of new films, series, documentaries and shows to subscribers. The April 2024 releases allow the platform to have one of its best months, with varied programs that reach several types of audience. Among these additions, there is one that is a real hit, but its success has been marred by controversy in recent hours. N was obviously not honest and learned this the hard way with a backlash from Internet users.
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A new Netflix release from April 2024 that shocks the public
The Netflix releases for April 2024 are still incomplete, but the firm with the red N can already congratulate itself on having exploded the counters with Jennifer's Truths. A documentary directed by Jenny Popplewell (The Watts affair: chronicle of a family killing) available since April 10. For almost an hour and a half, What Jennifer Did returns to a tragedy that shook the town of Markham, Canada, and the Unionville district. In 2010, a young woman called the police in panic and tears, citing a burglary in progress and the disappearance of her parents. But very quickly, the story takes a sordid turn during which Jennifer Pan is accused of having orchestrated the assassination of her parents. His mother died there, while his father was seriously injured in the head at the time.
In this Netflix documentary, Jenny Popplewell paints the portrait of this seemingly innocent young woman, who was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison like her accomplices. And there is a passage which is currently at the heart of a big controversy, and which is located in the 28th minute. This is the exact moment where this Netflix doc brings in a close friend. According to her, Jennifer is someone “sparkling, happy and true”. To illustrate these words, the documentary film intersperses images of the young woman very smiling and making the Victory sign with both hands. Nothing unusual so far.
The scandal on Jennifer's Truths
Except that you will see with the photos, Netflix is accused of having used artificial intelligence to recreate these photos which do not exist in reality. It's the media The Byte who raised the alarm about this and who exposed the deception to broad daylight. If one observes carefully, one can see missing fingers, deformed face and fingers, unreal objects etc.
So where is the problem ? Jennifer's Truths is supposed to be factual and relate this family drama, without altering anything. However, there, Netflix finds itself amplifying the image of a young woman who is good in all respects, with elements invented from scratch. Which shocks Internet users and which sets fire to the powder. And it is all the more serious as there are today concerns about the use of AI and its abuses.
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Here we have the demonstration of the potential danger in a legal matter which is not yet completely over. In 2023, Jennifer Pan received a favorable opinion for the reconsideration of her conviction, but there is no date yet for the retrial. Jennifer's Truths, which is in the top 10 most watched films on Netflix, is available on the platform.
