tech
‘I always considered social media evil’: big tobacco whistleblower on tech’s addictive products
Jeffrey Stephen Wigand revealed how tobacco companies targeted children; now he sees similar marketing by big tech
TL;DR
- Jeffrey Stephen Wigand, a key whistleblower in the 1990s tobacco industry trials, sees strong similarities between tobacco companies' tactics and those of big tech firms in creating addictive products.
- Recent jury verdicts finding Meta and YouTube negligent for designing addictive social media products echo the legal challenges faced by big tobacco.
- Wigand believes both industries intentionally targeted children's vulnerabilities to create addictive products, similar to how tobacco companies marketed to youth.
- He highlights the role of whistleblowers in providing internal documents that demonstrate companies' awareness of the harmful effects of their products.
- Wigand advises potential tech whistleblowers to carefully consider the profound life changes and risks involved, emphasizing the moral imperative to come forward if they witness harm.