Some Delta Air Lines employees are learning the hard way that what they write online can have consequences in real life, as reported by JonNYC. Then again, this just gets at a much bigger issue with our society, about division, how we communicate, etc.
In this post:
Delta punishes employees for violating social media policy
On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, we saw the murder of Charlie Kirk, an outspoken political activist, during an event at a college in Utah. No matter how much we may disagree with someone, nobody deserves to have their life taken because they have a different view than us. Worst of all, Kirk has two young children, who now have to grow up without a father due to someone else’s horrible decision.
The internet isn’t exactly a friendly place, and as you’d expect, Kirk’s death has elicited a wide range of responses, from sympathy to glee.
Most major companies have social media policies that dictate how employees can act online. Some people have been seeking out inappropriate comments directed toward Kirk online, and have been reporting them to employers. Along those lines, Delta is the first airline that seems to be taking action in this regard, or at least addressing this on a widespread basis.
These comments aren’t at all hard to find — just go to any social media platform, and search “Charlie Kirk Delta,” or something, and you’ll likely see them.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian has just issued the following memo to employees regarding this, indicating that some employees have been suspended, and termination is a possibility as well:
“No one better connects the world” isn’t just a catchphrase — it’s our mission. For 100 years, Delta people have been known for our spirit of service, making the world better one customer at a time.
Whether we’re in uniform and on the clock, online or out in public, our colleagues, customers and communities expect us to reflect Delta’s values — integrity, care and servant leadership — that we hold dear.
This week we were made aware of Delta employees whose social media content, related to the recent murder of activist Charlie Kirk, went well beyond healthy, respectful debate. These social posts stand in stark contrast to our values and our social media policy, and these employees have been suspended pending an investigation. Violations of our social media policy can carry meaningful consequences, including termination.
Remember that we all represent Delta, at all times, in any forum. It’s essential that we act in ways that uphold our shared values and the human connection that defines us.
Thank you for all you do, every day, to take care of our customers and each other.
The internet is really becoming a very dark place
I don’t blame Delta for enforcing its social media policy. As a matter of fact, it’s something the airline should do. Unfortunately the internet just brings out the worst in people, and for whatever reason, many people can’t help themselves. People should just follow a simple rule — if you’re using identifying information online, assume that your employer will see what you post, and ask yourself if they’d be fine with it.
The thing is, many of these Delta employees aren’t necessarily openly putting in their social media bios that they work for the airline, and they aren’t claiming to be company representatives. But they’ll have a picture or two in uniform somewhere in their feed, and they seemingly don’t realize that this connects them to the company. C’mon, folks, use common sense!
The internet, and particularly social media, has just become such a dark and unpleasant place. There’s more effort put into finding division than common ground.
The irony is of course that the people who are most aggressively reporting people to employers for what they write online are the same people who post the most controversial and offensive things when something similar on the other side happens.
It’s not that they’re upset that someone is being insensitive, but they’re upset that someone is disagreeing with them, and they want to find any way possible to punish them for that. And let me be clear, that’s not exclusive to any one side, and it happens across the political spectrum.
In the United States we have free speech, but of course that doesn’t mean that what you see is free of consequences. The consequences are of course the biggest if you use your real name, you work for someone else, etc.
I think this is also why the internet is becoming a worse place by the day. The above reality essentially encourages people to use anonymous accounts, and that only emboldens people to be their worst, loudest, and most controversial self.
The only people who can non-anonymously say super hateful things online without consequences are those who literally make a living doing that. Then oddly, you have people like Elon Musk claiming that if you’re “unfairly treated” by your employer due to something you posted online, he’ll fund your legal bills, with no limit.
Bottom line
Delta is taking action against employees who have violated the company’s social media policy, following the murder of Charlie Kirk. It’s a good reminder that free speech doesn’t mean that what you say is free of consequences.
Delta has a social media policy, and the company is within its rights to enforce that. I just wish the internet weren’t evolving the way it was. There’s little sense of objective ethics or right vs. wrong anymore, and instead, it’s all about punishing those with different opinions. And again, I think that applies across the spectrum.
What do you make of Delta enforcing its social media policy?
MAGA snowflakes led by the whiner in chief.
It seems like the left went too far this time, they tried to silence him but they have woken a sleeping giant. The right isn’t putting up with it anymore.
There have been multiple stories of people being fired from all kinds of companies from universities to MSNBC over comments about Kirk.
The internet has created the mindset that people can say whatever they want and not face repercussions.
Whether you like Kirk or not, hopefully there will be a recognition that speech has its limits - both ways. He wasn't the President and they have been assassinated for decades. He was an opinionated...
There have been multiple stories of people being fired from all kinds of companies from universities to MSNBC over comments about Kirk.
The internet has created the mindset that people can say whatever they want and not face repercussions.
Whether you like Kirk or not, hopefully there will be a recognition that speech has its limits - both ways. He wasn't the President and they have been assassinated for decades. He was an opinionated person.
When you spend time engraving bullets, you have lost the ability to stop and think things through.
and DL, like most companies and organizations, gives employees the freedom to say what you want AS LONG AS YOU NEVER IDENTIFY as their employee
Speech literally does not have limits. That's the entire point of free speech, you prolapsed rectum.
well, yes it most certainly does.
The government cannot limit your speech as a private citizen but employers most certainly can.
the fact that you don't understand the basic concepts of speech - and you are certainly not alone - is why there will be stories of all kinds of people being fired from all kinds of companies over a very opinionated private (not government) individual.
As an outsider (dutch) person looking in - I often see a lot of hypocrisy in American politics or vocal supporters of one party or another.
For example, free speech.
I will read some people that have a large platform make comments that are inflaming or hurtful to segments of the population. And when they are called out the first thing they say is 'free speech'.
And yet, when they are targeted by the opposing...
As an outsider (dutch) person looking in - I often see a lot of hypocrisy in American politics or vocal supporters of one party or another.
For example, free speech.
I will read some people that have a large platform make comments that are inflaming or hurtful to segments of the population. And when they are called out the first thing they say is 'free speech'.
And yet, when they are targeted by the opposing side, they attack the comments being made against them and make calls that x, y ,z post or comment should be removed. Although, free speech? I mean you guys live in a country where people can picket military funerals and chant 'God hates fags'.
The other thing that I think most non-europeans westerns struggle with when observing US politics is just how much religion influences things. Sure, we have it here as well as do most countries where the routes are christianity. But 90% of the population are not interested in hearing about it, so you seldom hear our politicians mention religion in politics. I mean look at Ireland, a devout catholic country - has had a gay prime minister, gay marriage is legal, and of course abortion. Same in Italy, essentially the host nation (kind of) of the world's biggest christian church.
Yet, again with the politicians or influential people that have large platforms in the US - when they talk about religion it again seems to be hypocritical or at least selective. They seem to pick and choose the parts of christian teachings that appeal to them or are useful to them and then ignore others.
Yes the internet is a dark place. And the real world is not much better anymore. Prayers for all the lives lost because of their political views.
It’s also proof you absolutely don’t have free speech in the USA, if you are happy he died.
However if you praise him, you don’t get disciplined? They are only suspending employees who have a different opinion?
Why feel sorry that he had children? Boo hoo. So did Mussolini and Pol Pot.
Like many, I was happy with the death of a fascist misogynist homophobe
New York Yankees game on 11 September of all days, decided to have a big image of him on a screen an ask people to stand in silence. His wife spoke to remember his legacy.
The US government has said that any foreigners who say anything negative about CK risk being deported. Nancy Mace was screaming about “ trannies “
...Like many, I was happy with the death of a fascist misogynist homophobe
New York Yankees game on 11 September of all days, decided to have a big image of him on a screen an ask people to stand in silence. His wife spoke to remember his legacy.
The US government has said that any foreigners who say anything negative about CK risk being deported. Nancy Mace was screaming about “ trannies “
Nothing to remember the children killed in Minneapolis. The Hortmans.
School shootings are the biggest cause of death to children in the US. 95% of shootings globally are in the US, and CK said a few deaths are worth to keep the second amendment.
Bolsonaro was jailed in Brazil for an insurrection.
The US government is the most dangerous threat to global stability since the 1930s.
If you think someone should be killed for his speech, you're the fascist.
Couldn't have said it better myself. Bravo!
I wish OMAAT would follow TPG’s lead and disable all comments.
I wish you would just read TPG and stop visiting OMAAT.
Senselessly trolling again Eskimo …. Many who post herein “Wish that you would stop visiting OMAAT”.
@Ben, what was wrong with my comment?
Before immigration to the US I was working for the biggest airline in Russia, Aeroflot.
Even there I was free to show my opinion on my own social medias about all the bs in the government without any consequences.
Since invasion the things have been changing drastically. But still companies do not give a f if you post something against the government. Only government agencies care about it.
I can’t believe I...
Before immigration to the US I was working for the biggest airline in Russia, Aeroflot.
Even there I was free to show my opinion on my own social medias about all the bs in the government without any consequences.
Since invasion the things have been changing drastically. But still companies do not give a f if you post something against the government. Only government agencies care about it.
I can’t believe I escaped from this country and culture to the ‘most democratic country in the world’ where companies control your posts. I have seen a lot of bs in my country related to expressing your opinion, and I had never been shocked by similar things/actions in this country until now.
P.S. And originally I’m from Belarus. Belavia was the only airline in the region who kicked off people for any unti-government posts. Now DL joined the hell.
The Englishmen, Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web and Charles Babbage the inventor of the digital computer, have much to be proud of.
The USA has so much more to be ashamed of for allowing and leading the world in the misuse of both the computer and the WWW.
The majority of the woke and unashamedly disruptive rhetoric circulating around the WWW, originates from the land of the...
The Englishmen, Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web and Charles Babbage the inventor of the digital computer, have much to be proud of.
The USA has so much more to be ashamed of for allowing and leading the world in the misuse of both the computer and the WWW.
The majority of the woke and unashamedly disruptive rhetoric circulating around the WWW, originates from the land of the not so free USA. Recently it has been proven that one has to be extremely guarded in what one thinks, says and does in the USA currently.
You can bring the cowboy out of the Wild West but you cannot bring the wild, woke gun slinger out of the U.S.
Linking what you consider “woke” with “unashamedly disruptive rhetoric” makes one wonder how much you support free speech. There is a lot of hate coming from both sides right now.
If we are waiting for people or businesses to self-regulate on this one it ain’t gonna happen.
As for Delta, I can’t say for sure if this is the right call or not, but I don’t like what I see here …mainly because I...
Linking what you consider “woke” with “unashamedly disruptive rhetoric” makes one wonder how much you support free speech. There is a lot of hate coming from both sides right now.
If we are waiting for people or businesses to self-regulate on this one it ain’t gonna happen.
As for Delta, I can’t say for sure if this is the right call or not, but I don’t like what I see here …mainly because I don’t know where you draw the line. But, at the end of the day, an at-will employer can terminate any employee for any reason.
There are many Parker, who like me, actually support free speech. However, to do so in certain areas of the world is tantamount to signing your own death warrant. Recent events in Utah have graphically proven why the USA (for example) is not the land of the free …. yes?
Decency towards others, no matter the party or beliefs. A seemingly good man, father and husband was murdered. You don't have to like him or you don't have to agree with him, but he was murdered and his kids no longer have a father.
Until people of all persuasions can go back to seeing that we shouldn't celebrate his murder, the rest is irrelevant.
Freedom of speech should actually mean freedom of consequences, that's the whole point. Otherwise it's not free speech. That said, there are some very clear lines. If you absolutely rejoice over someone's murder, if you're so ecstatic you have to go and make a social media post about it - you're psychotic. We don't allow people not fit for society to participate in it, and we definitely shouldn't allow them to be responsible for someone's...
Freedom of speech should actually mean freedom of consequences, that's the whole point. Otherwise it's not free speech. That said, there are some very clear lines. If you absolutely rejoice over someone's murder, if you're so ecstatic you have to go and make a social media post about it - you're psychotic. We don't allow people not fit for society to participate in it, and we definitely shouldn't allow them to be responsible for someone's wellbeing on a metal tube in the sky. Applies to both sides. If some lunatic leftist got murdered tomorrow (which doesn't happen, but if), I'd absolutely support firing anyone loudly celebrating it. If you don't have very very basic self control, you shouldn't be anywhere near others.
Actually it did happen. Recently, a democratic lawmaker and her husband were killed. Another lawmaker and his wife were also targeted but survived. Both couples were shot in their respective homes. The suspect had a list of dozens of other democratic lawmakers - including sitting US senator and reproductive rights activists. Please don’t gaslight, don’t advertise your ignorance.
The fact is political violence happens on both sides, but it’s also a fact that only one...
Actually it did happen. Recently, a democratic lawmaker and her husband were killed. Another lawmaker and his wife were also targeted but survived. Both couples were shot in their respective homes. The suspect had a list of dozens of other democratic lawmakers - including sitting US senator and reproductive rights activists. Please don’t gaslight, don’t advertise your ignorance.
The fact is political violence happens on both sides, but it’s also a fact that only one side has given the extremism an official platform. Fox news has been doing it for years and now under the orange buffoon, right has made it its official mission.
"We don't allow people not fit for society to participate in it"
"Applies to both sides."
This is an example of ig ignorant Karen NIMBY hypocrite pretending to be woke snowflake.
1. Who made you power to determine who's fit or unfit for society.
2. You said both sides yet you completely ignore the side you deem "unfit for society".
dude dude, chill my guy lol, the bartender should cut you off soon. happy to chat in 12 hours. stay hydrated.
@Syd
You are free to say whatever you want. Nobody is stopping you. Only you have control over your own mouth.
“No one better connects the world”
But only if it passes the Ed censorship.
See Ed, if you "really" want to connect the world, you have to accept the best and the worst the connected world has to offer.
Now a private business can do what they want and be as draconian as they please.
But don't be a one sided authoritarian and still claim to connect people. This is like go colonizing but say...
“No one better connects the world”
But only if it passes the Ed censorship.
See Ed, if you "really" want to connect the world, you have to accept the best and the worst the connected world has to offer.
Now a private business can do what they want and be as draconian as they please.
But don't be a one sided authoritarian and still claim to connect people. This is like go colonizing but say you come in peace.
But if Ed wants to mix business with PAC, at least be honest about it and get the prices lower, pass on the benefits to your customers for ever politicians your organization blows.
There is no free speech on the US, that is such a joke that anyone who had lived there and in another country knows. Employees are not married to corporations/their employers and as long as they don't represent the company in any fashion, most of them do not have any reference to who they work for, they should be left alone and their privacy should be respected. Many social media policies are draconian and plain...
There is no free speech on the US, that is such a joke that anyone who had lived there and in another country knows. Employees are not married to corporations/their employers and as long as they don't represent the company in any fashion, most of them do not have any reference to who they work for, they should be left alone and their privacy should be respected. Many social media policies are draconian and plain ignorant, they wouldn't survive a day on a European Court.
What are you talking about? Free speech only applies to the government punishing you, not a private company deciding they don't want to be associated with you. You want to compare free speech in the U.S. to Europe? Ok, let's do that. An apparently very controversial UK figure was just arrested last week in London for posting WORDS. It is illegal to do a Nazi salute in Germany, or to deny the Holocaust. Switzerland outlaws...
What are you talking about? Free speech only applies to the government punishing you, not a private company deciding they don't want to be associated with you. You want to compare free speech in the U.S. to Europe? Ok, let's do that. An apparently very controversial UK figure was just arrested last week in London for posting WORDS. It is illegal to do a Nazi salute in Germany, or to deny the Holocaust. Switzerland outlaws public homophobia speech. Denmark passed laws 2 years ago desecrating holy texts. None of those things are illegal in the United States, where it is legal to burn the flag, despite what President Pussygrabber says. You don't know what you're talking about.
So you go on to talk about the internet being divisive, then go on to be divisive in explaining that the wrong side is going after people?
What a hot, steaming, pile of shit example of "journalism".
Stick to reporting on airline and hotel loyalty programs.
@ Robert -- Sorry, what?
I think you say it very well, and social media has largely become a sewer with a few ponds of fresh water embedded in it which is why most of us still go there. We all have the right to drink sewer water if we want to, but there would be health and reputation consequences if we did. Actions have consequences, and when you post something on social media, the effect in terms of exposure...
I think you say it very well, and social media has largely become a sewer with a few ponds of fresh water embedded in it which is why most of us still go there. We all have the right to drink sewer water if we want to, but there would be health and reputation consequences if we did. Actions have consequences, and when you post something on social media, the effect in terms of exposure is more similar to printing something in a newspaper than having a conversation with a friend at a kitchen table. Expect consequences when you post something online which you wouldn't print in a newspaper or say from a podium. And that goes for all sides.
A MAGA army will report you for not writing nice things about Charlie after his murder, but the same group will reshare Na zi propaganda and even reshare articles from an increasingly mainstream conservative "news" sites that calls for the actual dismantling of the Democratic party and even rounding up their donors and supporters to throw them in prison before being executed.
Biggest bunch of whiniest snowflakes ever.
As long as they're absolutely impartial while doing it, absolutely.
This perfectly captures the most recent decades of world history. Thanks, @Ben.
It was like that for centuries.
You just notice it the most recent decades because the propaganda machine isn't as effective as it used to be. Fewer people got brainwash one sided.
Now people can pick a side to get brainwashed thanks to sophisticated algorithms.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo has almost half as much followers as Jesus.
Go figure.
There are those who contend that if Jesus could have had access to the WWW, back in the day, Christianity would be the only religion today …. I couldn’t possibly comment!