Researcher examines benefits, harms and ethics of online crowdfunding

Would you help a complete stranger in desperate need of money, based solely on their social media posts? Simon Fraser University professor and bioethicist Jeremy Snyder examines the complex dimensions of this question in his new book, "Appealing to the Crowd: The Ethical, Political, and Practical Dimensions of Donation-Based Crowdfunding" (Oxford University Press, 2023), which highlights how online crowdfunding—while helping to meet immediate needs—also impacts privacy and dignity, worsens inequalities, doesn't solve systemic issues, and most often falls short of its goals.