pharmaceutical and medical-products company

Johnson & Johnson

Industry Health

A major shareholder-governed health-care company with medicines and medical products, alongside severe opioid and talc litigation and consumer-safety concerns. Johnson & Johnson scores low because of documented human harm, person-dependent governance, and material opacity, with weak stakeholder ownership reinforcing the negative evaluation.

Why this matters: Johnson & Johnson anchors the harsher side of diversified health care: valuable products, but serious sourced harm claims.

Letter grade F Malignant Medium confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Last reviewed May 6, 2026

Final Score -14* F - Malignant

FMALIGNANT-14 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material26

Bonus+0

Cap35Ownership <= 2 and Governance <= 2

After Cap26

Penalties-40

Private Government badge

Johnson & Johnson receives the Private Government badge because it combines large-scale private rule-setting over customers, workers, users, members, or counterparties with OpenLobby-documented lobbying of about $1M on public policy issues.

Evidence: [10]

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Evaluation Overview

F - Malignant

The score turns mainly on Labor Sovereignty, with the largest penalty coming from Human Harm.

Strengths

Labor Sovereignty4/7
Loss-Bearing Fidelity4/7
Product Integrity4/5

Penalties

Human Harm-18
Policy Capture-6
Animal Testing-6
Reversibility-5

Evidence state

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims10
Direct axis claims9
Coverage9/16

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	1 / 10	Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. That keeps Johnson & Johnson low on Ownership: decisive control remains with shareholders, private owners, executives, or state insiders rather than affected people. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 12 scored entries below, 65 tied, 149 above on Ownership. Uncertainty Priority page: add more axis-specific research over time to make the comparative placement harder to dispute. Linked evidence Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. [1]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	2 / 10	Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. That keeps Johnson & Johnson low on Governance: ordinary users, workers, customers, or affected communities cannot change the rules that govern them. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 71 scored entries below, 22 tied, 133 above on Governance. Linked evidence context Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. [1] context Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. [2]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	3 / 10	Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. That keeps Johnson & Johnson low on Extraction: the business model makes extraction from workers, users, suppliers, customers, or the public central rather than incidental. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 39 scored entries below, 22 tied, 165 above on Extraction. Linked evidence context Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. [1] context Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. [2]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	4 / 7	Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. That places Johnson & Johnson in the middle of Labor Sovereignty: workers or participants have some protection or agency, but not enough binding power to control the relationship. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 112 scored entries below, 39 tied, 75 above on Labor Sovereignty. Linked evidence context Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. [1] context Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. [2]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	3 / 7	Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. That places Johnson & Johnson in the middle of Solidarity with the Unemployed: some access, severance, retraining, openness, or mutual-aid value is present, but it is not central or durable. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 81 scored entries below, 45 tied, 100 above on Solidarity with the Unemployed. Linked evidence context Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. [1] context Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. [2]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	4 / 7	Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. That places Johnson & Johnson in the middle of Loss-Bearing Fidelity: there is some willingness to preserve obligations, but the record still leaves meaningful risk-shifting concerns. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 88 scored entries below, 30 tied, 108 above on Loss-Bearing Fidelity. Linked evidence context Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. [1] context Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. [2]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	2 / 5	Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. That places Johnson & Johnson in the middle of Market Conduct: the product has real value but still uses meaningful lock-in, gatekeeping, market power, or dependency. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 31 scored entries below, 22 tied, 173 above on Market Conduct. Linked evidence context Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. [1] context Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. [2]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	4 / 5	Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. That places Johnson & Johnson high on Product Integrity: the core offering is genuinely useful and comparatively less dependent on traps, degradation, or harmful dependencies. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 61 scored entries below, 72 tied, 93 above on Product Integrity. Uncertainty Priority page: add more axis-specific research over time to make the comparative placement harder to dispute. Linked evidence Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. [2]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	3 / 5	Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. That places Johnson & Johnson in the middle of Scale Integrity: scale brings useful reach but also weakens accountability, transparency, or local constraint. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 50 scored entries below, 58 tied, 118 above on Scale Integrity. Linked evidence context Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company. [1] context Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used. [2]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Reversibility ? Applied when positive conduct depends on current living leaders, founders, family owners, or other person-contingent governance rather than durable structure. Range: -5 to 0.	-5	Johnson & Johnson positive conduct depends on corporate leadership, litigation strategy, product-safety systems, pricing policy, regulation, and investor governance rather than structurally democratic patient, worker, or public control. Johnson & Johnson positive conduct depends on corporate leadership, litigation strategy, product-safety systems, pricing policy, regulation, and investor governance rather than structurally democratic patient, worker, or public control. That warrants a severe Reversibility penalty because favorable conduct depends on current people or discretionary leadership rather than locked stakeholder structure. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 0 scored entries below, 95 tied, 131 above on Reversibility. Linked evidence Johnson & Johnson positive conduct depends on corporate leadership, litigation strategy, product-safety systems, pricing policy, regulation, and investor governance rather than structurally democratic patient, worker, or public control. [3]
Human Harm ? Severity, scale, culpability, vulnerable targets, willful reoffense, reputation laundering, pattern escalation, and time decay. Range: -20 to 0.	-18	Johnson & Johnson has faced major opioid settlement obligations and extensive talc-related cancer litigation, describes conduct considered under Human Harm. Johnson & Johnson has faced major opioid settlement obligations and extensive talc-related cancer litigation, describes conduct considered under Human Harm. That warrants a severe Human Harm penalty because ordinary operation, documented misconduct, or institutional power creates serious injury, deprivation, abuse, or foreseeable human damage. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 10 scored entries below, 1 tied, 215 above on Human Harm. Linked evidence Johnson & Johnson has faced major opioid settlement obligations and extensive talc-related cancer litigation, describes conduct considered under Human Harm. [4]
Policy Capture ? Private-interest attempts to bend law, regulation, subsidies, taxes, enforcement, trade, labor, safety, competition, environmental, healthcare, housing, surveillance, civil-liberties, or consumer policy against workers, customers, citizens, affected communities, or ecological life. Public-interest advocacy is not penalized merely because it is lobbying. Range: -15 to 0.	-6	OpenLobby records JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICES, INC. lobbying on budget, healthcare, Medicare / Medicaid, law enforcement with about $1M in spending across 21 filings; the reviewed filings… OpenLobby records JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICES, INC. lobbying on budget, healthcare, Medicare / Medicaid, law enforcement with about $1M in spending across 21 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. That warrants a substantial Policy Capture penalty because private institutional pressure is being applied to public rules while affected people cannot democratically govern that agenda. The value is substantial but not at the floor because the linked record shows serious conduct without the strongest aggravating factors on this axis. Linked evidence OpenLobby records JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICES, INC. lobbying on budget, healthcare, Medicare / Medicaid, law enforcement with about $1M in spending across 21 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. [8]
Toxic Products ? Current sale of products whose ordinary use, exposure, ingredients, residues, packaging, or formulation creates toxic, addictive, or consumer-safety risk. Food products receive at least light scrutiny for artificial colors, artificial flavors, petro-derived additives, pesticide residues, contaminants, endocrine-disrupting packaging, and ultra-processed formulation. Ordinary adult nightlife or alcohol service is not penalized by itself without evidence of predatory marketing, youth targeting, addiction-extractive design, or unusual product-safety misconduct. Range: -5 to 0.	-2	Johnson & Johnson talc litigation and product-safety disputes is relevant to the toxic-products penalty because consumer-safety risk in ordinary health and personal-care products. Johnson & Johnson talc litigation and product-safety disputes is relevant to the toxic-products penalty because consumer-safety risk in ordinary health and personal-care products. That warrants a substantial Toxic Products penalty because ordinary use, exposure, ingredients, residues, packaging, or formulation creates material toxic, addictive, or consumer-safety risk. The value is substantial but not at the floor because the linked record shows serious conduct without the strongest aggravating factors on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 14 scored entries below, 9 tied, 203 above on Toxic Products. Linked evidence Johnson & Johnson talc litigation and product-safety disputes is relevant to the toxic-products penalty because consumer-safety risk in ordinary health and personal-care products. [5]
Animal Testing ? Direct animal testing, contract animal testing, animal-testing-dependent product development, or business lines where current safety/regulatory approval normally relies on animal experiments. Stronger penalties apply where animal testing is core, repeated, non-optional, or avoidable; documented cruelty-free or non-animal methods reduce or eliminate the penalty. Range: -8 to 0.	-6	Pharmaceutical, medical-product, or drug-development business models remain structurally tied to animal-testing systems in current regulated product development. Linked evidence Johnson & Johnson has drug/medical product development animal-testing exposure based on its listed business model and current profile description: A major shareholder-governed health-care company with medicines and medical products, alongside severe opioid and talc litigation and consumer-safety concerns. Johnson & Johnson scores low because of documented human ha… [9]
Accountability Opacity ? Material opacity, reputation laundering, or hidden accountability structures that prevent public accountability. Range: -2 to 0.	-2	Johnson & Johnson opioid and talc controversies create material accountability opacity and accountability concerns because public understanding has depended heavily on litigation, settlements, and investigative records. Johnson & Johnson opioid and talc controversies create material accountability opacity and accountability concerns because public understanding has depended heavily on litigation, settlements, and investigative records. That warrants a severe Accountability Opacity penalty because material facts, risks, conflicts, ownership, or accountability information are obscured from the public. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 0 scored entries below, 52 tied, 174 above on Accountability Opacity. Linked evidence Johnson & Johnson opioid and talc controversies create material accountability opacity and accountability concerns because public understanding has depended heavily on litigation, settlements, and investigative records. [6]
Ideological Disavowal ? Concealed ideology presented as neutrality, expertise, professional necessity, public-service administration, market inevitability, or non-ideological common sense while exercising power. Range: -3 to 0.	-1	Johnson & Johnson's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Johnson & Johnson shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through… Johnson & Johnson's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Johnson & Johnson shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of. That warrants a limited Ideological Disavowal penalty because the institution presents situated, contested choices as neutrality, expertise, inevitability, safety, or common sense. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Ideological Disavowal 0 to -3 recalibration: 0 for explicit standpoint or no penalty-level neutrality theater; -1 for bounded softening of contested choices; -2 for strong neutrality theater by a powerful institution; -3 for major gatekeeping or coercive power presented as neutral, necessary, objective, or non-ideological. Uncertainty This recalibration uses public self-presentation and profile evidence; later review should add direct language-analysis evidence for high-impact institutions. Linked evidence Johnson & Johnson's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Johnson & Johnson shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint. [7]

Bonus Credits

No bonus credits applied in this version.

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

Medium 75/100

9 verified linked claims 9 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 9/16 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 17/20

9 verified linked claims

Source quality 14/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 9/18

9 direct claims across 16 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 6/10

9/16 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

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Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1Johnson & Johnson publishes investor-relations and annual-report materials for a shareholder-governed public health-care company.

Ownership Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 6, 2026

AI scaffold

Johnson & Johnson investor relationsOfficial self-description · 68%

2Johnson & Johnson sells medicines, medical technologies, and health-care products that can provide direct health value when safe, accessible, and appropriately used.

Product Integrity Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 6, 2026

AI scaffold

Johnson & Johnson businessesGeneral web source · 58%

3Johnson & Johnson positive conduct depends on corporate leadership, litigation strategy, product-safety systems, pricing policy, regulation, and investor governance rather than structurally democratic patient, worker, or public control.

Reversibility Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 6, 2026

AI scaffold

Johnson & Johnson investor relationsOfficial self-description · 68%

4Johnson & Johnson has faced major opioid settlement obligations and extensive talc-related cancer litigation, describes conduct considered under Human Harm.

Human Harm Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 6, 2026

AI scaffold

National Attorneys General opioid settlement announcementPrimary public record · 100%
Johnson & Johnson talc litigation reportingIndependent reporting · 82%

5Johnson & Johnson talc litigation and product-safety disputes is relevant to the toxic-products penalty because consumer-safety risk in ordinary health and personal-care products.

Toxic Products Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 6, 2026

AI scaffold

Johnson & Johnson talc litigation reportingIndependent reporting · 82%

6Johnson & Johnson opioid and talc controversies create material accountability opacity and accountability concerns because public understanding has depended heavily on litigation, settlements, and investigative records.

Accountability Opacity Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 6, 2026

AI scaffold

National Attorneys General opioid settlement announcementPrimary public record · 100%
Johnson & Johnson talc litigation reportingIndependent reporting · 82%

7Johnson & Johnson's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Johnson & Johnson shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint.

Ideological Disavowal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 9, 2026

AI scaffold

Johnson & Johnson official siteGeneral web source · 58%
Johnson & Johnson investor relationsOfficial self-description · 68%
Johnson & Johnson businessesGeneral web source · 58%

8OpenLobby records JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICES, INC. lobbying on budget, healthcare, Medicare / Medicaid, law enforcement with about $1M in spending across 21 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role.

Policy Capture Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

OpenLobby — JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICES, INC. lobbying profileGeneral web source · 58%

9Johnson & Johnson has drug/medical product development animal-testing exposure based on its listed business model and current profile description: A major shareholder-governed health-care company with medicines and medical products, alongside severe opioid and talc litigation and consumer-safety concerns. Johnson & Johnson scores low because of documented human ha…

Animal Testing Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 11, 2026

Johnson & Johnson public siteGeneral web source · 58%
FDA: Animal Welfare, Testing and Research of FDA-Regulated ProductsPrimary public record · 100%

10Johnson & Johnson receives the Private Government badge because it combines large-scale private rule-setting over customers, workers, users, members, or counterparties with OpenLobby-documented lobbying of about $1M on public policy issues.

Private Government Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

OpenLobby — JOHNSON & JOHNSON SERVICES, INC. lobbying profileGeneral web source · 58%

Alternatives

Competitors

AGOOD66 Patient Advocate Foundation nonprofit patient case-management and financial-aid resource · same market AGOOD54 Federally Qualified Health Centers publicly supported community health-center system · same market AGOOD53 OpenNotes academic healthcare-transparency initiative · same market AGOOD50 CPESN USA network of independent community pharmacies · same market BQUALIFIED49 Civica Rx nonprofit generic medicine company · same market BQUALIFIED43 Planned Parenthood nonprofit reproductive and sexual healthcare federation · same market CPERFORMATIVE41 En-Vision America / ScriptAbility accessible prescription-labeling company · same market CPERFORMATIVE41 Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company public-benefit online pharmacy · same market

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Audit Log

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May 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai-scaffolding

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