Their crypto pyramids schemes and pump and dumps were also technically legal in the US (I am assuming). And yet it is impossible for a pyramid scheme to work, can any US lawyer or judge show how a pyramid is viable? Of course not, because they are scams.

You have "technically legal" schemes in other countries too. If there is a desire to address criminality a way can be found.

If you want to achieve something, coming up with excuses around why it is not possible rarely bring results.

It would be wise to make openly manipulating social media systematically (with or without AI) illegal, immediately.

Social media is for real people to freely engage and share their viewpoints, not for bot farms and other forms of organized astroturfing to shape opinion by appearing as independently-affiliated real people.

Discourse is an incredibly valuable tool for humanity, and we can't let this be taken away from us - especially by those making a killing off of it or those paying for the privilege.

Shutting down the legal entity isn't that strong of an incentive, I agree.

Having to do 20 years community service as a junior janitor at an infectious disease hospital in rural congo and losing all your money (every last cent) is exactly the type of incentive that would work with American VC types.

Not saying that US society (as it stands today) is capable of reforms, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't take a sober attitude when evaluating the type of incentives that could work.