Meta considered “Whisper strategy” against Jonathan Haidt

Court filings revealed that Meta employees discussed a strategy in 2023 to turn academics against author Jonathan Haidt, whose bestselling book argues that social media harms teen mental health. The revelation has sparked anger from Haidt's prominent academic critics, who insist their opposing views on his research are entirely independent of Meta. Haidt welcomed the criticism of Meta by social scientists, drawing comparisons to tactics from the Big Tobacco playbook. Open article →