Facebook is having a Big Oil moment

Sen. Richard Blumenthal mentioned a familiar metaphor in the Facebook whistleblower hearing on Tuesday. “Facebook and Big Tech are facing their Big Tobacco moment,” he said, arguing that the social network’s products “can be addictive and toxic to children.” Frances Haugen, the aforementioned whistleblower, has similarly called Facebook’s decisions “disastrous” and has said that the company “chooses profit over safety.”

Do these phrases remind you of Big Tobacco? Sure. They also make me think of Big Oil.

At its best, Facebook’s products are a resource that has led to some good. (Connecting people...