Is It Wrong to Skip the Commercials? Is it ethical to DVR a TV show and then fast-forward through all the commercials while watching it? Is it ethical to watch a TV show in real time but to use the bathroom during commercial breaks? Is it ethical to read a magazine without glancing at a single advertisement? When listening to FM radio, is it ethical to scan through competing stations whenever some bozo starts screaming about the best place to buy a muffler? Mass media exist because of their symbiotic relationships with advertising, but the consumer exists outside of that agreement. There is no moral obligation to consume advertising. The responsibility of attracting your attention is the burden of the advertiser. You don't need to help. I previously worked for a company run by a genuinely bad boss. I did my homework before starting there, but no one who worked there would say anything (and a search for lawsuits involving the firm came back clean). It turns out that was because many previous complaints had been settled out of court. Upon my departure, I had my own suit for wrongfully withheld wages settled out of court. Part of my settlement was a prohibition on discussing the case or making "disparaging" remarks to anyone. Now a professional acquaintance is considering working for this company. Does my ethical obligation to share what I know about this employer outweigh my legal obligations? Nondisclosure provisions that stretch beyond a straightforward embargo on business-oriented "trade secrets" represent the worst kind of corporate limitations on individual freedom - no one should be contractually stopped from talking about their personal experiences with any company. You did, however, sign this contract (possibly under mild duress, but not against your will). I can't advise you to explicitly break a contract you signed. But I can advise you to do what you believe to be just, within the limitations of the contractual language. I would call the professional acquaintance and say the following: "I am aware that you're considering taking a job with __________. I'd love to talk to you about this, but I'm contractually unable to discuss my departure from that company or the circumstances surrounding it. Legally, I also can't say anything about the company that could be construed as disparaging. So I'm just calling to tell you I can't talk about any of this. Unless your acquaintance has a brain made of concrete, this content-free conversation should achieve your intent. If the settlement is so watertight that you can't even disclose that the agreement exists, meet the acquaintance in person and say, "I used to work for the company you're considering joining." When he asks about the employment experience, silently stare at him with an expression of existential despair.