Public shaming is back on the agenda. From fears of being photographed eating on the tube, to apps that erase pics from the night before – the spectre of public criticism looms large. Has social media revived this age-old mechanism of control? Or can shame be a force for positive change?

Whether you're a woman eating on the Tube, or a sleeping commuter, the combination of social media and smartphones mean that no public space is safe to do anything you wouldn't want caught on camera. Is it just a bit of harmless fun, or something a little more sinister?

“Unilever came and left devastation as they exposed the land to contamination,” raps Sofia Ashraf in a YouTube video that's been viewed over 1.7 million times to date. The rap – set to the beat of Nicki Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’ – is shaming Hindustan Unilever for toxic waste disposal.

Are you the kind of person who leaves a hotel room in a mess or takes more than the complimentary soap? The Art Series Hotel Group is turning the tables on today’s empowered consumers with reverse reviews, but can the threat of public shaming or a promise of special perks get guests to behave?