Online discrimination is a growing and complex issue in the digital age, and its relationship with business ethics is becoming increasingly relevant. Through eight real-life examples, we will explore how online discrimination affects individuals and communities while questioning the ethics of the companies behind digital platforms.
8 Impactful Cases
1. Racial Hate Speech on social media:
In 2022, a well-known football player became a victim of a racial hate speech attack on Twitter. Trolls flooded his profile with racist comments after a match. This raised questions about the company’s ethics behind the platform due to their delay in addressing the issue and the lack of preventive measures.
2. Gender Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace:
An employee of a technology company shared her heart-wrenching experience in a blog, detailing how she had been harassed and discriminated against online by colleagues. The company was forced to address these allegations publicly, leading to a debate about their workplace culture and business ethics.
3. Social Media Trolling Against an LGBTQ+ Celebrity:
An LGBTQ+ celebrity suffered an online troll attack, including homophobic comments and threats of violence. The platform’s lack of an immediate response sparked a discussion about the ethics of protecting users against online discrimination.
4. Doxing and Political Threats:
Several political candidates were victims of doxing and online threats during an election campaign. This raised concerns about the ethics of social media companies and their role in protecting the integrity of the democratic process.
5. Religious Discrimination on Social Media Platforms:
Users of a popular social media platform reported the presence of religiously discriminatory content that went unchecked. This raised questions about how companies monitor and regulate discriminatory content on their platforms.
6. Discrimination Based on Political Orientation:
Online harassment of individuals due to their political opinions has become common. This has led to a debate about the ethics of social media companies and their role in promoting an inclusive and respectful online environment.
7. Victimization of Ethnic Minorities on Gaming Platforms:
Players from ethnic minorities often face online discrimination and harassment while enjoying their favorite video games. This has prompted video game manufacturers to examine their business ethics and take action against discriminatory behavior.
8. Harassment of Online Abuse Victims:
Online abuse victims, including those of domestic abuse and sexual harassment, often face online harassment from their perpetrators. Online platforms face ethical questions about how to protect these victims and ensure their online safety.
Online discrimination raises critical questions about business ethics and the responsibility of companies to protect their users. While measures have been implemented in some cases, the fight against online discrimination is an ongoing challenge that requires a robust ethical approach and active collaboration between companies and society at large.
Promoting an inclusive and respectful online culture is essential to addressing this issue and building a safer and more equitable digital environment for everyone.
You’ve read: Online Discrimination and Business Ethics: 8 Impactful Cases; we recommend: What is a whistleblower?
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