At a Coldplay show in Foxborough, Massachusetts, an unanticipated scandal emerged. The CEO of a tech unicorn was filmed on the jumbotron in an intimate embrace with his HR director. As they clumsily avoided the camera, Coldplay’s Chris Martin joked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just really shy.”

The first scenario appears plausible. Internet detectives swiftly pieced the event together, and a clip of the occurrence went viral on TikTok, gaining over 58 million views. The consensus online is that infidelity is unacceptable and that the couple warranted exposure.

One user shared on X, relishing the CEO and HR director being revealed for their actions. Another remarked that the CEO warranted being caught and exposed on social media for his disrespectful conduct.

While the ethics of their actions aren’t contested, the jubilant response to the viral video is. As 404Media observed, the widespread reaction reflects our modern landscape of surveillance and social media. The internet’s intrigue with scandals, judgment, and memes frequently leads to excessive speculation and invasion of private lives.

We’ve encountered comparable scenarios previously, such as the notorious “couch guy” and a viral TikTok alleging infidelity on a United Airlines flight. As Mashable pointed out, this trend of investigation reflects a deficit of empathy and complexity in digital culture.

The “married man on the plane scandal” raised inquiries about our focus on viral moments. While the pain of infidelity is undeniable, the internet’s fixation on exposing it for entertainment poses questions about the repercussions for those involved.

Business Insider’s Katie Notopoulos noted that we are unfamiliar with these individuals or their circumstances, yet the online scrutiny is undoubtedly troubling for them.

This incident underscores a voyeuristic interest, heightened surveillance, and our shared deficiency of privacy. Fostering empathy in the TikTok era seems to be a step in the wrong direction.