The Ethical, Psychological, and Social Implications of Mass Surveillance

In 2013, the whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that the British spy agency, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), tapped fibre-optic cables for access to our personal communications (including emails, Facebook posts, internet histories, and phone calls), and then shared this information with the National Security Agency (NSA), the major spy agency in the US. The Snowden…

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The Problem With ‘Chugging’

‘Chugging’ refers to the practice of charity workers asking passers-by for donations. Certain cities, such as Newcastle, have introduced restrictions on chugging, based on complaints from the public about the tactics of ‘chuggers’, as they are called. But finding chuggers to be a nuisance is not a sign that people are uncharitable. It shows that…

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Is Social Media Activism Effective?

Social media activism involves using channels such as Twitter and Facebook to promote some sort of positive campaign, whether it relates to equality, human rights, animal rights, environmental protection, or physical and mental health. Such activism often relies on the use of trending hashtags, which has been dubbed hashtag activism. Social media users will include…

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Can You Oppose Animal Abuse and Still Eat Meat?

The well-known travel blogger Matt Kepnes (better known as Nomadic Matt) previously wrote a blog post on how to stop animal abuse in the tourism industry. As someone who’s deeply interested in the ethical dimension of travel, I was glad to see this post. He describes the scale of abuse, which depends on tourist money, and offers suggestions…

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Book Review: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer is incredibly well researched, features a balanced and mixed source of opinions and expertise, and covers the entire spectrum of moral issues raised by animal agriculture. Safran Foer writes in an accessible and relatable way about the uncomfortable horrors of meat production, using touches of humour and urgency when appropriate…

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