You could wake up tomorrow morning with your internship revoked and your life overturned. All you did was repost an Instagram reel criticizing Charlie Kirk after his death.
Right now, Americans' digital footprints are being used as a political weapon.
Most of us already know that in the age of social media, our digital footprint can impact us years down the line. To those who do not, one’s digital footprint is “the unique trail of data that a person creates while using the internet.” Put simply, a digital footprint is every post you like, website you visit and message you send online.
In the wake of Charlie Kirk's death, Vice President J.D. Vance has turned people's digital footprint into a tool for public and professional punishment — demanding consequences for those who posted comments deemed disrespectful towards Kirk. What makes this especially dangerous is not only that a sitting government official is influencing private employment decisions but that he is doing so selectively.
On Sept. 14, Vance said, “People who celebrate the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk should be held accountable.” He then followed up the statement with a call to action, “Call them out, and hell, call their employer," Vance added as he guest-hosted an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show, "We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.”
By his logic, you should call an employer on someone who isn’t civil towards Charlie Kirk after his death. Civility, as defined by Oxford Dictionary, is “formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech.” Yet as the Supreme Court held in Snyder v. Phelps, that “This Nation has chosen to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that public debate is not stifled.” Being impolite does not cross the threshold — and is therefore, not a crime, and certainly not grounds for losing your job.
Vance’s rhetoric had real consequences on people who “celebrated” Kirk's death in the weeks after, especially those who went to social media to do so. Over 145 people have lost their jobs as a result of their role in social media discourse on Kirk, including an assistant dean at Middle Tennessee State University, an executive director of a nonprofit organization in Wisconsin, and even a general manager of a burger restaurant in Minnesota. The firings are not just for those who directly celebrated the death of Kirk. A Washington Post columnist of 11 years, Karen Attiah, was also fired for posting comments about Kirk on social media despite never celebrating his death.
Still, one could still argue that Vance isn’t suppressing views, he's simply promoting civility. If that were true, he would apply that very standard to his own supporters.
On Oct. 14, Politico released a report detailing leaked messages sent in the Young Republican group chat of leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont. Members of the group chat — many of whom are state and federal staffers — referred to Black people as “monkeys" and "watermelon people,” joked about putting their opponents in “gas chambers” and glorified slavery. They went as far as to talk about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide.
Vance’s response? The supposed advocate for “civility” reacted to the messages saying, “They tell edgy, offensive jokes. That’s what kids do. And I really don’t want us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke — telling a very offensive, stupid joke — is cause to ruin their lives.” The stark contrast in Vance's reaction sends a clear and dangerous message. Your speech will only be used against you if you disagree with the values of his leadership.
For us as students (and job seekers), that message should be chilling. Our digital footprints are public, permanent and clearly, through the actions of Vance, easy to weaponize. Social media thrives on ambiguity — does liking a post mean you support the message or are you just acknowledging it? The lines of interpretations are blurred giving space for others to control public perception of our intentions.
My message to you is simple. Understand the risks before you post, like or comment. I’m not advocating for self censorship, but I would be lying if I told you to ignore the risks associated with your digital footprint. Make sure what you post is what you truly believe and stand by. Own what you interact with, and if it gets you in trouble, so be it.
If your digital footprint follows you for life, make sure it’s one you can defend.
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Mihir Steingard '28 is an Opinion Columnist studying Industrial and Labor Relations. The name of his column, Common Matters, is a play on words and aims to show why common matters in politics, on campus and in society should matter to us, the common people. He argues against being apolitical or apathetic and instead advocates vehemently for empathy and understanding. He can be reached at msteingard@cornellsun.com.
