"The tobacco litigation succeeded not because cigarettes were addictive, but because the industry had committed fraud. For decades, tobacco companies knew about nicotine's addictive properties and the link between smoking and cancer and they actively concealed that knowledge."
"The processed food industry traced an almost identical arc. In the 1970s, consumer advocates petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to restrict advertising of junk foods to children. The industry fought back hard."
"Despite well-documented socio-environmental determinants of diet, the personal responsibility narrative stuck. Last month's verdict is being hailed as a break in that pattern, but I am not convinced it is."
The California jury verdict found Meta and Google liable for creating addictive platforms harming children, drawing parallels to tobacco litigation. Unlike tobacco, which was held accountable for fraud, social media's accountability may follow a different trajectory. The processed food industry faced similar challenges, where personal responsibility narratives overshadowed socio-environmental factors. The recent verdict is seen as a potential shift, but skepticism remains regarding its long-term impact on social media accountability, suggesting a predictable pattern similar to past industries.
Read at Fast Company
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