When one person directly harms another, we have a simple case of wrongdoing. A person is complicit when causing harm indirectly by being involved in the wrongdoing of others. Participation complicity, as we might call it, typically involves small contributions to collective wrongdoing that brings about big harms. It implicitly condones the evil acts, joins others in a morally reprehensible attitude and desensitizes viewers to such acts. Most agree that watching pornography online becomes morally reprehensible when the viewed images are known to depict real acts of sexual assault and exploitation.

Source: International New York Times July 28, 2021 09:00 UTC