Jeremy Allen White has called for greater safeguards on social media platforms, saying it is “scary” to think about what they could become without regulation.
The 35-year-old actor stars in the upcoming thriller The Social Reckoning as journalist Jeff Horwitz, who teams up with former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, to expose the social network’s closely guarded secrets.
Speaking to the Press Association, White said there should be greater oversight of major technology companies.
“There needs to be more safeguards with all of these companies,” he said.
“I don’t mean to bully Facebook – all of these massive tech companies need more safeguards."
Jeremy Allen White. Photo credit: Roxy Lee, Shutterstock
“For air travel, there’s third-party regulators. For pharmaceuticals, there’s third-party regulators. There should be a third-party regulator for these big companies.
“I hope there’s conversation around things like that coming out of the film.”
Bruce Springsteen, Jeremy Allen White at the LA Premiere Of 'Springsteen. Deliver Me From Nowhere,' 2025. Photo credit: Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock
The film is written, directed and co-produced by Aaron Sorkin and is based on the 2021 Wall Street Journal investigation known as The Facebook Files.
It explores the impact of social media, including the way misinformation can spread across online platforms.
Aaron Sorkin. Photo credit: Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock
Asked whether social media could become something more positive than a tool used to spread misinformation and hate, White said: “I hope so.”
“I hope for young people there’s a backslide where it becomes fashionable to avoid all this stuff.”
Jeremy Allen White. Photo credit: Fred Duval, Shutterstock
White, who was born in 1991, said he remembers growing up before social media became such a major part of everyday life.
“I was born in 1991, so I remember a world without all this,” he said.
“I think for people my age, there’s a hyper awareness.
“There is something cool about having a certain amount of distance from social media.
“I hope that young people now can share that. It’s all moving so fast, and it is scary what it could become if there is no adjustment or regulation for it.”
White attended the gala screening of The Social Reckoning at Curzon Mayfair in London on Tuesday.
He was joined on the red carpet by Madison and Sorkin, with Madison wearing a lime green gown and Sorkin dressed in a grey suit.
Sorkin previously wrote the 2010 film The Social Network, which explored the creation of Facebook and the legal disputes surrounding its founding.
Speaking about misinformation, Sorkin told the Press Association: “I don’t think we can put the toothpaste back in the tube.
“But what we can do is pass laws.”
Jeremy Strong. Photo credit: Fred Duval, Shutterstock
The Social Reckoning also stars Jeremy Strong as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, alongside Wunmi Mosaku, Billy Magnussen and Betty Gilpin.
The film will be released in cinemas across Ireland on October 9.
