Meta considered a ‘whisper strategy’ to turn academics against Jonathan Haidt

What happened

New court documents from a lawsuit about teen safety show that in March 2023, Meta employees discussed a "whisper strategy." The goal was to "turn academics against Haidt," according to the notes. The notes are messy and full of typos, so they may be early ideas rather than real plans. It is not clear if Meta ever used these ideas. Meta did not comment right away.

Key facts

• March 2023: the date of the meeting notes about Haidt.
• February 2023: Haidt started posting his research on Substack, a newsletter website.
• 2022: Haidt testified about his views before Congress.
• Some legal cases against social media companies were expected to go to trial within a few years.

Who is Jonathan Haidt?

Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist, a scientist who studies how people think and act in groups. He argues that social media caused rising depression and anxiety in teens. He later wrote the bestselling book The Anxious Generation. Meta was worried that his ideas could shape how the public sees the company.

Why it matters

The notes suggest Meta saw scientists who study its products as a threat to its reputation. Critics say this shows a company trying to attack the messenger instead of answering the evidence. Haidt says the notes are proof that companies go after critics when they cannot defend their products. Meta's future court cases on kids' safety may make these documents important.

What to watch

• Whether Meta responds to the filing and explains what it did with these ideas.
• How the court uses these documents in the teen safety lawsuits.
• Whether more internal Meta documents about teen well-being research come out.