A technique for encoding a privacy masked image comprising a plurality of pixels into an encoded image frame of a video stream is disclosed, The technique includes receiving image data of the image, wherein the image data represents the pixel of the image, grouping the pixels of the image into encoding units, wherein each encoding unit comprises a plurality of neighboring pixels; receiving data defining a privacy mask masking part of the image in the interest of personal integrity, and graphical characteristics of the privacy mask including any one or a combination of constant coloring, smearing, and pixelization, identifying all encoding units having one or more pixels located within the privacy mask, extending the privacy mask to be aligned with the identified encoding units to form a redefined privacy mask covering the identified encoding units, generating a privacy masked image by applying the redefined privacy mask and the received graphical characteristics to the image, and encoding the privacy masked image into the encoded image frame of the video stream.