False equivalence
Etymology
The term is modern, built from "equivalence" — Latin "aequus," equal, plus "valere," to be worth — literally "of equal worth." The fallacy denies the difference in worth or degree. It thrives wherever an appearance of balance is prized over proportion.
noun phrase · /FAWLS ih-KWIV-uh-luhns/
Treating two things as morally or logically equal when they differ greatly in scale or kind.
What it names
Resists the "both sides" reflex that flattens a large wrong and a small one into a tie.
Example
Comparing a parking ticket to a felony as "both breaking the law" is a false equivalence.
Related idea
Whataboutism leans on it, equating the accused’s deeds with the accuser’s to make them cancel out.