Online Shopping

By Anonymous

 The Ethics Behind FashionShopping online securely - NCSC.GOV.UK

Amazon warehouse in Illinois hit by tornado, killing 6Amazon workers and 'community allies' attend a rally outside the office of BlackRock in Manhattan, to protest against Amazon's working conditions and company policies in New York on May 24, 2021.

By: Kate Beck



Technology has made our lives much more convenient and easy, reflecting DuBois’ idea that “the metropolitan world relies on the smooth operation of an imperial world order” (Hammer and Park 2021: 231). The ability to online shop has furthered the distance between items bought and the process in which it was made, creating a “smooth operation.” Far too many brands outsource labor to countries that have been colonized and exploit people for cheap and unsafe labor. 


Hammer and Park investigate how technology has mimicked and intensified racial colonial capitalism. “the metropolitan population created an investment of the veil that prevents them coming to terms with the supply chain and its dramatic human and natural toil… DuBois’ global veil allows us to understand why metropolitan populations are at once unable and unwilling to see the colonial violence which enables their worlds (Hammer and Park 2021: 231). 


The distance between the individual shopping online and the individuals who make the clothing is far and distant. This is an example of the global veil, as the ease and accessibility prevent an examination of unfair labor practices.


However, in the past couple of years, there has been a lot of press around unfair labor practices for Amazon workers in the U.S. Showing that unfair labor practices are completely invisible due to the nature of online shopping, it’s the global veil. The global veil shields unfair labor practices only if they are outside the U.S., mimicking Hammer and Park's understanding of racial colonial capitalism. 


The first two images represent the global veil, the denial of unfair labor practices met with a continuation of online shopping. While the last two images show a pushback against unfair labor practices due to their proximity to the online shoppers. 




Work Cited: 

Hammer, R. and Park, T., 2021. "The Ghost in the Algorithm: Racial Colonial Capitalism and the Digital Age." Political Power and Social Theory, 38, 221–249. 

The Plaid Zebra and [Email  Protected]. 2021. “This TV Show Made Fashion Bloggers Work in the Sweatshops Their Clothing Came from (Video).” The Plaid Zebra. Retrieved May 5, 2022 (https://theplaidzebra.com/this-tv-show-made-fashion-bloggers-work-in-the-sweatshops-their-clothing-came-from/).  

Anon. n.d. “Shopping Online Securely.” NCSC. Retrieved May 5, 2022 (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/shopping-online-securely). 

Annierpalmer. 2021. “Amazon Drivers Sought Safety at Warehouse as Tornado-Hit but Found Only Death and Destruction.” CNBC. Retrieved May 5, 2022 (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/20/amazon-warehouse-in-illinois-hit-by-tornado-killing-6.html).  

Rubio-Licht, Nat, Veronica Irwin, and the Protocol team. 2022. “Amazon's Union Fight: Here's What's Happening Now.” Protocol. Retrieved May 5, 2022 (https://www.protocol.com/amazon-union).  

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