My Past Condemns Me: Digital Traces and Reputational Crises

This article analyzes the influence of old publications on reputational crises involving companies and people, especially those that are public or have media visibility. Based on an analysis of the structures that involve the online environment, especially social media platforms, the study explores the notion that every action on the internet leaves traces, with the potential to impact reputations. The study highlights the role of media users, who, with the power to produce and disseminate information, can influence public debates and expose inconsistencies and prejudices in old publications, whether in posts by celebrities, digital influencers, or even organizational leaders and managers. The text also analyzes cases that illustrate the path of the crisis from traces in the environment of the platforms.