Dr Michael Koch from the Kent Business School comments on the issues caused by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey praising Myanmar on the social media site.
‘Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s recent praise of Myanmar indicates carelessness and a lack of sensitivity. Tweeting about Myanmar’s people being “full of joy” might easily be taken the wrong way when many people in this country are actually suffering from what is described as an ongoing genocide.
‘It is hard to believe that Jack Dorsey was unaware of the oppressive measures taken by Myanmar’s government when he decided to travel to this country. Dorsey has more than four million followers and is the CEO of one of the most important social media companies in the world. Almost anything which he posts on Twitter is not only put under a magnifying glass, but also influences many people’s attitudes and beliefs. That’s why it’s important for him to consider the consequences of such comments, which can easily be construed as an endorsement of the regime.
‘A subsequent rectification or explanation of controversial statements such as these often does little to repair the reputational damage they caused. Dorsey is not the first to get into trouble for praising Myanmar. Earlier this year, a Canadian diplomat came under criticism for tweeting about great beaches in Myanmar, and was forced to delete his tweets.
‘There is an increasing awareness about Corporate Social Responsibility, and this also extends to making sure that regimes which violate human rights are not publicly endorsed.’
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