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‘I always considered social media evil’: big tobacco whistleblower on tech’s addictive products
| United Kingdom | politics | ✓ Verified - theguardian.com

‘I always considered social media evil’: big tobacco whistleblower on tech’s addictive products

#social media #addiction #whistleblower #tobacco #tech industry #regulation #ethics

📌 Key Takeaways

  • A former tobacco industry whistleblower compares social media's addictive design to that of cigarettes.
  • The whistleblower criticizes tech companies for creating products that exploit user psychology for profit.
  • The article highlights parallels between historical tobacco industry tactics and modern tech practices.
  • It calls for greater accountability and regulation of addictive digital products.

📖 Full Retelling

<p>Jeffrey Stephen Wigand revealed how tobacco companies targeted children; now he sees similar marketing by big tech</p><p>A key whistleblower in the tobacco industry’s landmark trials of the 1990s has been watching big tech’s recent <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/26/us-court-social-media-meta-youtube">court battles</a> closely. Jeffrey Stephen Wigand, a biochemist who helped reveal how tobacco companies <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tob

🏷️ Themes

Tech Addiction, Industry Accountability

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Original Source
<p>Jeffrey Stephen Wigand revealed how tobacco companies targeted children; now he sees similar marketing by big tech</p><p>A key whistleblower in the tobacco industry’s landmark trials of the 1990s has been watching big tech’s recent <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/26/us-court-social-media-meta-youtube">court battles</a> closely. Jeffrey Stephen Wigand, a biochemist who helped reveal how tobacco companies <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tob
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Source

theguardian.com

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