Meta’s Internal ‘Whisper Strategy’ to Undermine Jonathan Haidt Revealed in Court Papers

Background

Court filings in a U.S. lawsuit filed by school districts have exposed internal Meta discussions about a covert campaign aimed at discrediting social‑psychologist Jonathan Haidt, whose book *The Anxious Generation* has been cited in calls for stricter online‑safety rules.

What the documents show

• Meeting notes titled *Well‑being Meeting Sound‑check Notes* (dated 8 March 2023) record a conversation about a “whisper strategy” to get the academic community to “disavow Haidt.”
• The notes quote a senior research leader, identified as “Curtiss” (likely then‑Vice‑President of Research Curtiss Cobb), asking how to “enrage” academics so the media would deem Haidt “not credible.”
• The plan is described as a “below‑the‑line campaign,” not a public PR push.
• A suggestion to enlist a person named “Gellman” to write a takedown piece appears, though the document does not confirm who that is. Andrew Gelman, a Columbia professor who has criticized Haidt, later said he was never hired by Meta for such a task.

Confirmed vs. reported claims

• Confirmed: The internal minutes exist and were submitted as part of the litigation. They contain the language quoted above.
• Reported: The strategy was intended to “turn other academics against Haidt” and to “debunk” his work. The documents do not show whether any actions were actually taken.
• Unknown: Whether Meta ever commissioned a takedown article, or if the discussion influenced any external communications.

Haidt’s response

In an interview with *The Verge*, Haidt said he was “not surprised” by the revelations and added, “When companies can’t dispute the evidence, they go after the messenger.”

Practical implications

• For researchers and policy makers: The files suggest that a major tech platform considered influencing academic debate, raising questions about transparency and the independence of scholarly critique.
• For users: No new feature or policy change has been announced; the discussion relates solely to internal messaging tactics.
• Verification: The original court filing can be accessed through the public docket of the school‑district lawsuit (see the Guardian article for a link). Interested parties can request the full transcript from the U.S. District Court’s PACER system.

No announced platform changes

Meta has not released any official statement about a new policy, feature, or rollout linked to this discussion. The company’s public communications continue to focus on AI investments and existing safety tools.

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