Shutterstock’s president and Chief Operating Officer has told its employees that they can simply go and work elsewhere if they’re not happy with how the company is censoring images that might otherwise upset the Chinese government.
NBC News reports that over the course of several months, various Shutterstock employees were opposed to the company’s decision to block searches for terms, such as “Taiwan flag,” for users in China. This unrest culminated in a meeting at the company where company president Stan Pavlovsky told those unhappy employees that they could simply go and “pursue other opportunities.” The meeting was recorded and shared with NBC News.
Around a fifth of Shutterstock’s 1,000-strong workforce signed a petition opposing the censorship, despite the impact it could have on the company’s revenues if it were to have its access to the Chinese market restricted as a result.
Global companies frequently struggle to marry free-market sensibilities with the need to avoid upsetting the Chinese government. Last week, the Sony World Photo Awards decided to censor images of Hong Kong protests from its list of finalists, a move that is assumed to have been a result of pressure from its sponsor.
NBC News reports that three employees have quit Shutterstock in protest of the censorship.
Should Shutterstock be placing profits ahead of freedom of information? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
(Response is censored in order not to upset China)
Well, I can't imagine this working out in any other way other than amazing for the company. </sarcasm>
I honestly doubt that it will hurt them in a meaningful way. A few days of bad press, but that's about it. Employees are replaced and people who want cheap stock photos will continue to shop for cheap stock photos.
I used to do microstock. Long story short, there's nothing I could hear about Shutterstock that would make my opinion of that company any lower than it already is.
I had a person resign within a half day of starting to work. He called me out for not saying "please" and "thank you" when addressing him.
A clash of cultures so vastly different, it's a wonder he even took on the job as a bagger in the grocery.
Good for him.He was polite in telling me, he would not be back after lunch.He was the one and only guy to ever tell me they won't be back after a half day or even a day or a week. They just failed to return.
Why would you ever not say "please" and "thank you" to an employee? We are to treat all people with respect and courteousness, whether they are above us, below us, or equal to us, in any given employment hierarchy or situation.
I certainly hope that you say "please" and "thank you" to those who work under your supervision currently.
Very rarely. I say thanks from time to time. I dont say please a lot.
"Hey, can you hand me that? Thanks."
"Sup man"
I guess my workplace is less formal than yours.
I almost find it insulting when managers/higher ups are too polite. I'm not doing you a favour, I'm here to work. Just tell me what you need!!
Exactly. Its inefficient and not needed. My please and thanks I get every friday at midnight and I use it to buy cool shit like new lenses.
I have always been polite, no matter what level in an organisation I'm at. I'll say "please" to someone even when I'm directing them to do something we both know they have to do. It shows respect for their humanity which I think is even more important than whatever task I need them to undertake.
Depending on the culture you come from, it may not be normal to say "please" or "thank you" to an employee. I know I certainly never heard either in my time working for other people and I never thought anything of it.
Hi, Simon Patterson.
I can't win them all, even with the customers. One customer asked me how much each pack would cost of a multipack.
So, here I am doing my mental blackboard, and I stare into space, then tell her the price of a single one. She took my stare, as a roll of the eyes. She then left her trolley and exited in a huff. It was only after her leaving comment, that she saw me expressing an annoyance signal, when I was entirely neutral.
I also had another customer expressed surprise when i was practicing being "nicer" by greeting him, then saying thank you. He wanted to know if anything was wrong!
A consistent fast service is more important than a contrived one.The same guy liked that I would see him coming, I would input the item in the cash register and pull out a bag to bag it, before he even reached the counter. If he had his cash in hand, he was out in 3 seconds, 5 max. If I could see the bills, I would have the change waiting. Sometimes, I would give him a "Hey, man" as he approached. He even broke his bottle outside in the car park one day, and I gave him a new one right away, probably in 10 seconds.
Which do you prefer? More chit-chat or fast service? I took pride in fast service. I could cash 12 items and bag it, and still wait for the customer to pull out their wallet.
People prefer one or the other, but will take both.
Thanks for reading this little rant. I owned the business, called it a day, and now shoot the breeze.
How is your life?
Sounds about right
The world shouldn't have to deal with such oppressive regime.
I dont think the whole world has to deal with shutterstock. I bet there are tons of people that have never even heard of them.
Like someone said, “free expression of ideas and speech is limited to the golden rule, that is, who owns the gold”
So Shutter stock is fine with million of Muslim sent to re-education camp?
Fine with doctor warning about Corona-virus send to jail forced to write apologies letter (but died from it one month later) ?
Fine with censorship ?
.
Interesting.
Where do YOU cone from? https://www.themakeupgallery.info/images/fantasy/alien/misc/coneheads2.jpg
I thought you meant "come." It would make more sense.
Wow.. it's almost like they're a business not looking to piss off a giant market or something. Keep your personal beliefs to your personal time. If you don't want to, then find a company to work for that aligns with your personal beliefs so that it's not a problem. Seems reasonable to me whether it's beliefs regarding China or religious beliefs. I don't see what the problem is. I'm sure Shutterstock would happily go along with those employees' wishes if those employees were willing to pay them the amount of revenue that would be lost in the Chinese market due to following them.
I am no expert in China but many business' or companies have ideas that aren't 100% inline with every employee. Life does not work that way and I agree with your comment. Start a business or agree to work for someone else who you may not always agree with.
How is it that these “woke” companies defend oppression of free speech, minority rights, freedom of religion, and nearly every value we hold dear?
Which "woke" companies exactly?
When in Rome do as the Romans do. It's a repressive dictatorship and not the land of the free and we are not going to change it .
<---------- Sees headline. Clicks directly to comments.
Same here!
I did hear somewhere that Adobe Creative Clouds accounts were deactivated in Venezuela not long back by the US. Sad when any Government acts this way. Australian government is currently going hard to limit free speech and journalism. Governments are generally pressured by multinationals and religions Sad really. Keep on taking photos that's what were about..
Cheers
This behaviour would change if the media and advertising companies stopped using their images. They should anyway, most of the stock images are just boring.
Boring=safe. Most companies like safe.
True, too much of activism at workplace these days.
At Apple, the common saying in such situations was 'Love it, change it or leave it'.
Oh I thought their motto was "Because we are apple and we hate you but you will still buy all our expensive shit anyway"
When a company reveals it has no principles whatsoever, and stands for nothing at all, other than its own naked profit.
What do you think the purpose of a business is?
That depends on the business and who runs it. Some businesses will increase childhood cancer if it makes them a dollar.