Facebook could be facing a Big Tobacco reckoning – WLFI

It’s been a tough week for Facebook. Whistleblower Frances Haugen testified to Congress that the company is aware that its platforms are used to spread hate and misinformation but has failed to take action to prevent it. The social media giant and several of its services were also hit with widespread outages. Facebook’s leaders have come under fire for choosing profit over health, drawing comparisons to Big Tobacco. On “Reliable Sources” Sunday, CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter asked if this scandal is different from others the tech company has faced. “Is it prudent to have one person in his 30s have so much unquestioned influence over an institution like this?” James Fallows, author of “Breaking the News” and contributor to the Atlantic asked on “Reliable Sources” Sunday. “Their top policy executive is blanketing Sunday shows,” Axios media reporter Sara Fischer said of multiple interviews with Facebook’s head of global communications, Nick Clegg. “That never happens.” Facebook’s stock has dropped more than 12% since early September, signaling a “reputational change” for the company. “I never see the stock take a prolonged dip like that in response to this sort of political news,” Fischer said. As he has done in prior…
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