User blog comment:Zathronas/Analysis by an author: Volume 2 episode 11: No brakes/@comment-78.42.186.25-20141024020543/@comment-24218038-20141024213005

Maybe before but now the old guard are being hunted and killed as evidenced by Tukson. A mask would become necessary if you are fighting the White Fang and you are a Faunus yourself. (Or you have a big organization behind you like the huntsman.)