He Beat Big Tobacco. Will the Same Playbook Work Against Meta and Social Media?
Mike Moore beat Big Tobacco. Will the same playbook work against Meta and social media?
TL;DR
- Mike Moore, a key negotiator of the 1998 tobacco master settlement, is advising state attorneys general on a potential settlement with social media companies.
- Meta has agreed to a $17 billion settlement with states concerning child mental health damage caused by its platforms, including usage limits and enhanced age verification for teenagers.
- Moore sees similarities between the social media crisis and the tobacco fight, both involving accusations of fostering addiction and harming young people.
- Unlike tobacco, social media technology is rapidly evolving, making it harder to define harm and apply a consistent regulatory or settlement approach.
- The Attention Initiative, a nonprofit co-led by Moore, advocates for a permanent national public education fund to prevent youth addiction to social media.
- Experts and legal figures involved in past settlements acknowledge the challenges but believe broad resolutions are possible, though likely complex.
- The current Meta settlement is seen as a starting point, with attorneys general signaling expectations for similar outcomes from other tech companies.