In 2026, we no longer “connect” to the Internet: we live there. This total immersion has destroyed the last dams separating private life, professional sphere and identity construction.
But behind the promises of efficiency and entertainment, a systemic pathology has spread: cyberharassment boosted by intrusive algorithms and fully automated surveillance by data which turns against humans.
Generative AI: the new engine of viral lynching
For the generation of 2026, school bullying no longer has an “off” button. In the past, the home was a sanctuary; today, the torment is even in the sleep of adolescents via incessant notifications. The appearance of generative AI tools has reached a critical milestone: the tragic case of Lucas, 14, victim of a humiliating deepfake distributed by automated bots, illustrates this mutation. It is no longer a group of individuals who harass, it is an autonomous and unstoppable technological wave.
From an ethical point of view, we are allowing brains under construction to be shaped by platforms whose business model is based on capturing attention through outrage. The algorithm, by favoring divisive content to generate clicks, becomes the involuntary, but structural, accomplice of the harasser.
“People Analytics” or digital pillorying
The world of work is not immune to this drift, although the violence there is more insidious. Under the guise of performance, People Analytics software now tracks everything: responsiveness to emails, tone of exchanges on Slack, micro-movements of the mouse.
This permanent micro-control transforms data into a managerial weapon. When a manager uses real-time performance scores to publicly point out “weak links,” they are not managing, they are organizing digital social execution. We no longer harass an employee for his actions, but for what his “influence score” or his “disengagement index” projects about him.
The invisible cost: a public health disaster
This climate of constant comparison and total surveillance generates an explosion of psychosomatic disorders. From saturated child psychiatry services to psychological support units in companies, the observation is the same: self-esteem collapses under the weight of the “fable of the perfect life” and the terror of digital exclusion. Mental health is no longer an individual subject, it is a public health emergency.
Moving from paper compliance to ethical responsibility
Charters of good conduct and the GDPR have become paper shields in the face of the brutality of uses. For digital technology to remain a connecting tool and not a whip, organizations must initiate a profound change around four pillars:
- The principle of sobriety of monitoring: Is the tool necessary or simply convenient for monitoring? There is an urgent need to deactivate real-time presence indicators to restore a culture of trust.
- Strict anonymity of performance data: AI can analyze the social climate, but it should never be used to target an individual. Data aggregation must be the rule to protect the identity of employees.
- The right to digital obscurity: Disconnection must be technical and not just incentive. Blocking servers between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. is a cognitive health measure.
- Shared governance: The establishment of joint data ethics committees, with a right of veto over collection tools, is essential to prevent the company from becoming a digital panopticon.
Progress cannot be built on the ruins of the psychological balance of a generation. Whether in a schoolyard or in an open space, protecting our privacy and our dignity is the great fight of the 21st century.
