I’m not sure I agree with that. No news is the equivalent of all other times: no deal/no hire. I think the game theoretic optimal choice from a liability standpoint is to simply stop sending further messages if you decide not to do business with someone, especially given all of the current litigation-happy people there are out there these days. (Even if you win a suit, you lose lots of money.)
It avoids the possibility of obsessive types getting agitated over an explicit rejection, et c. Anyone clever will see ghosting for what it plainly is: an explicit rejection.
It’s just business, not some trusted friend ghosting you on lunch plans and not calling. This is how business works, and it’s not rude, it’s just the protocol.