Big Tech Faces Legal Challenges But Profits and Power Remain Intact
By
ByRob Larson
Summary
Big Tech companies like Meta, Google, and Apple are facing increasing legal challenges and public backlash, drawing comparisons to the tobacco industry's historical reckoning. While recent court verdicts have allowed liability for consumer harms such as addiction and harmful content exposure, the article notes that no major structural changes have occurred — no firm breakups, no merger reversals, and only relatively small fines so far. Despite the legal headwinds and growing popular resentment, the profits and market power of these tech giants remain largely intact, suggesting the "Big Tobacco moment" may be more rhetorical than real at this stage.
Source
bskyBig Tech Faces Legal Challenges But Profits and Power Remain Intactjacobin.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledCommentators have talked of an industry turning point like that Big Tobacco once faced.
Despite the legal headwinds, there have been zero firm breakups, no victories on attempts to claw back mergers like Meta's purchase of Instagram.
Their profits and power look about as secure as ever.
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