Tech company CEO resigns after controversy over video captured at Coldplay concert
Share this @internewscast.com

The IT company CEO captured in a widely circulated video showing him embracing an employee at a Coldplay concert has resigned.

Andy Byron resigned from his job as CEO of Cincinnati-based Astronomer Inc., according to a statement posted on LinkedIn by the company Saturday.

“Astronomer is dedicated to upholding the principles and culture that have guided us since our inception. We expect our leaders to exemplify the highest standards of behavior and responsibility. Unfortunately, that standard has not been upheld recently,” the company stated in a LinkedIn post.

This announcement follows the company’s recent decision to place Byron on leave. The board of directors initiated a formal investigation into the jumbotron incident, which gained widespread attention. A company spokesperson later confirmed to AP that the individuals shown were Byron and Astronomer’s chief people officer, Kristin Cabot.

The brief video clip depicts Byron and Cabot being filmed on the jumbotron at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, during a Coldplay concert that took place on Wednesday.

Lead singer Chris Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd for his “Jumbotron Song,” when he sings a few lines about the people the camera lands on.

“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” he joked.

Internet sleuths identified the man as the chief executive officer of a U.S.-based company and the woman as its chief people officer.

Pete DeJoy, Astronomer’s cofounder and chief product officer, has been tapped as interim CEO while the company conducts a search for Byron’s successor.

Most concert venues warn attendees that they can be filmed

It’s easy to miss, but most concert venues have signs informing the audience that they could be filmed during the event. Look for them on the walls when you arrive and around the bar areas or toilets. It’s common practice especially when bands like to use performances for music videos or concert films.

The venue in this case, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, also has a privacy policy online which states: “When you visit our location or attend or participate in an event at our location, we may capture your image, voice and/or likeness, including through the use of CCTV cameras and/or when we film or photograph you in a public location.”

Once captured, a moment can be shared widely

“They probably would have got away with it if they hadn’t reacted,” said Alison Taylor, a clinical associate professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. And by the time the alleged identities emerged on social media, it hit a classic nerve around “leaders acting like the rules don’t apply to them,” she added.

Still, Taylor and others stress how quickly such a video lead to an internet search to find the people involved — and note that it’s important to remember that such “doxing” isn’t just reserved for famous people. Beyond someone simply spotting a familiar face and spreading the word, technological advances, such as the rising adoption of artificial intelligence, has made it easier and faster overall to find just about anyone in a viral video today.

“It’s a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us — and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system,” said Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and Media. “When you think about it, we are being surveilled by our social media. They’re tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.”

_____

AP Business Writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report from New York.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Trump says US would be on 'brink of economic catastrophe' unless justices rule his tariffs are legal

Trump Claims US Economy Faces ‘Crisis’ Without Tariff Approval from Justices

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is pushing for a prompt and…
Montana man charged with shooting four people at a bar pleads not guilty

Montana resident denies charges in bar shooting incident involving four victims

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana man accused of killing four individuals…
Study disputes Gaza genocide charges, finds flawed data amid Hamas-driven narrative

Research Challenges Genocide Claims in Gaza, Highlights Inaccurate Data and Potential Biases from Hamas Narrative

“That indicates the zones were relatively safe, despite Hamas using them to…
Man swimming across Pennsylvania river drowns near family picnic area

Man Drowns While Swimming Across Pennsylvania River Near Family Picnic Site

A 30-year-old New Jersey man drowned near a family picnic area in…
California professor arrested, accused of throwing tear gas canister at federal agents during marijuana farm

California State University Professor Accused of Throwing Tear Gas Canister at Federal Officers

A professor from California was indicted for purportedly throwing a tear gas…
Trump’s strike on cartel vessel off Venezuela sends warning to Maduro: ‘No sanctuary’

Trump’s Action Against Cartel Ship near Venezuela Warns Maduro: ‘No Safe Haven’

This week, the U.S. Marines carried out an unprecedented attack on a…
Trump says he's considering sending national guard to New Orleans

Trump is thinking about deploying the National Guard to New Orleans.

Unlike other Democrat-run cities where Trump has suggested he may deploy troops…
Medical expert weighs in after Xi, Putin caught on hot mic discussing organ transplants, immortality

Health Specialist Shares Insights on Xi and Putin’s Secret Conversation About Organ Transplants and Immortality

During a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi…
Donald Trump plans to ask Supreme Court to toss E. Jean Carroll's $5 million abuse and defamation verdict

Donald Trump Intends to Request Supreme Court to Overturn E. Jean Carroll’s $5 Million Verdict for Abuse and Defamation

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump will soon request that the Supreme…
RFK Jr. testifies before Senate Finance Committee amid CDC turmoil, vaccine changes

RFK Jr. Appears Before Senate Finance Committee During CDC Challenges and Vaccine Adjustments

During a tense three-hour Senate committee session on Thursday, U.S. Health Secretary…
Patel says FBI stopped potential preschool massacre: 'Unacceptable acts of cowardice'

Patel Criticizes FBI’s Handling of Preschool Threat: Calls it ‘Unacceptable Cowardice’

FBI Director Kash Patel announced that agents had prevented a potential disaster…
Dog-walking man stumbles on suspected debris from Reagan National plane crash 7 months later

Dog Walker Finds Possible Wreckage from Reagan National Plane Crash Seven Months On

A man walking his dog over Labor Day weekend discovered what may…