E-cigarette firms deploy fake grassroots letters to sway lawmakers

Evidence

At the height of the European debate regarding the e-cigarette industry, lawmakers received a letter allegedly signed by ex-smokers who quit the habit with the aid of e-cigarettes. They pleaded with the European Parliament to vote against regulating e-cigarettes (Higgins, 2013). This heartfelt letter was actually written by an undercover astroturfer, a London lobbyist hired by an e-cigarette firm. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1725

Categorization

• CANDY: A compact, vivid example of astroturfing — a fake consumer letter plant in Parliament — that travels well in conversation.