Meta staff discussed campaign to discredit social media critic Jonathan Haidt

Newly filed court documents say Meta employees discussed a possible campaign to undermine social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, a prominent critic who links social media use to rising adolescent depression and anxiety. The notes suggest the company was concerned his views could shape public debate and future legal cases over the safety of its products for teenagers.

Meeting notes from March 2023 refer to turning academics against Haidt, getting the academic community to disavow him and encouraging media coverage of criticism. They also mention psychologist Jean Twenge and a possible critical article by someone who may have been Columbia professor Andrew Gelman. The document contains shorthand and typos, and it is unclear whether Meta acted on these ideas; the company had not immediately commented. Haidt said he was not surprised and described the notes as evidence of efforts to manipulate scientific debate.