www.lesswrong.com/posts/E5cuZSmDfXjLKn7wb/cigarette-ads-for-babies-from-microsof...

The LessWrong page itself shows the post date as “24th Feb 2026”. The parenthetical “(image below made 2/26/2026)” asserts the image was made on February 26, 2026, which is after February 24, 2026.

Given the publication date displayed on the post, the image cannot have been made on a later date unless the date is a typo or the post date is wrong; as written, the claim is chronologically inconsistent with the post’s displayed publication date.

The post describes an “outright ban” on cigarette advertising in the U.S. That is not correct.

• The Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act, as summarized by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, requires warning statements on cigarette packages and in advertisements and specifically bans cigarette advertising on radio/television/other FCC-regulated media—which implies other advertising (e.g., print) is not categorically banned.
• The FDA’s description of Section 201 (Tobacco Control Act amendments) explicitly discusses “press and poster advertisements” and sets formatting requirements for warning statements in cigarette advertising, again reflecting that cigarette advertising can occur legally (with mandated warnings), rather than being outright banned.

So while many channels and practices are prohibited/restricted, the evidence shows U.S. law/regulation contemplates and regulates cigarette advertising (including print), rather than banning it outright.

The claim says cigarette advertising is “basically illegal,” but U.S. regulatory materials describe cigarette advertising as something that remains lawful if it follows specified rules.

• The FDA states it is unlawful to advertise cigarettes unless the advertising bears one of the required warning labels, and it gives detailed requirements for warnings in press and poster advertisements—indicating that such advertising is permitted under compliance conditions.
• The FTC’s summary of the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act similarly describes required warning statements “in advertisements,” and separately notes a ban on cigarette ads on radio/TV/other FCC-regulated media—again indicating that cigarette advertising is restricted, not broadly illegal.

Therefore, describing cigarette advertising as “basically illegal” is contradicted by how U.S. regulators describe and regulate ongoing cigarette advertising.