Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Internet e-ethics in Confrontation with an Activists' Agenda: Yahoo! on Trial

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A prolonged confrontation between Yahoo! Inc. and French activists who demand the removal of Nazi items from auction sites as well as restricted access to neo-Nazis sites is described and analyzed. We present the case up to the decision of Yahoo! Inc. to remove the items from yahoo.com following a French court's verdict against the firm. Using a business ethics approach, we distinguish legal, technical, philosophical and managerial issues involved in the case and their management by Yahoo! We conclude on the difficulty of governing relations with society from corporate and legal affairs departments at the headquarters level, and on the clash of two visions over the regulation of social freedom.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akdeniz, Y., C. Walker and D. Wall: 2000, The Internet, the Law and Society (CyberLaw Research Unit, University of Leeds, Longman Pearson).

  • Diamond, E. and S. Bates: 1995, ‘Law and Order Comes to Cyberspace’, Technology Review. Available at http://209.58.177.220/articles/oct95/Diamond. html.

  • Farhoomand, A.: 2000, Multi-jurisdictional Complaince in Cyberspace (Center for Asian Business Cases, School of Business, The University of Hong Kong).

  • Fekete, L.: 2001, ‘Rights, Rules and Regulation in the Cyberspace’, paper presented during the 14th Annual EBEN conference, Valencia, Spain.

  • Hunter, M.: 1998, Un Américain au Front: Enquête au sein du Front National (Stock, Paris).

  • Le Menestrel, M.: 2002, ‘Economic Rationality and Ethical Behavior. Ethical Business between Venality and Sacrifice’, Business Ethics: A European Review 11(2), 157–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Menestrel, M., H.-C. de Bettignies and Mark Hunter: 2001a, ‘Business e-ethics: Yahoo! on Trial’, INSEAD Case Study No. 4956 (A). Available at ECCH.

  • Le Menestrel, M., H.-C. de Bettignies and Mark Hunter: 2001b, ‘Business e-ethics: Yahoo! on Trial’, INSEAD Case Study No. 4956 (B). Available at ECCH.

  • Litman, J.: 1999, ‘Electronic Commerce and Free Speech’, Ethics and Information Technology 1, 213–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Reilly & Assoc. and H. T. Kung: 1997, The Internet and Society (Harvard University Press).

  • Taylor, T.: 2000, The Internet: The New Free Speech Battleground. Available at http://www.cosc.georgetown. edu/~denning/cosc450/papers/taylor.html.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Trias Fargas, 25–27, 08005, Barcelona, Spain

    Marc Le Menestrel

  2. Boulevard de Constance, INSEAD, F-77305, Fontainebleau Cedex, France

    Mark Hunter & Henri-Claude de Bettignies

Authors
  1. Marc Le Menestrel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark Hunter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Henri-Claude de Bettignies
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Le Menestrel, M., Hunter, M. & de Bettignies, HC. Internet e-ethics in Confrontation with an Activists' Agenda: Yahoo! on Trial. Journal of Business Ethics 39, 135–144 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016348421254

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016348421254

Search

Navigation