Overview of Internet Witch Hunting

Across the internet, many sites allow users to interact with one another in social ways. Many blogs allow readers to comment and give the writer feedback. Many forums also exist to allow users to have discussions online about with people they otherwise wouldn’t see in real life. And social media sites allow people to share information about themselves, their lives, and the things they care about with others. While the main purpose of these resources is to do good, they do get used against people sometimes.

The web is a wonderful place for people to share their ideas with others, learn new things, have fun, and so on. However the web is not only used for good, but also for evil. When things are not kept under control, people and their reputation can get harmed. That concept is the basis for internet witch hunting.

We explore what online witch hunting is, and what it isn’t. We will also look at what what makes witch hunts difficult to prevent and stop and the ethical issues that surround limiting it. We also provide some tips to avoid participating in or fueling an internet witch hunt in the future.