EQUIPThe Verge · 4h ago
Meta discussed attacking Jonathan Haidt — now even his haters are annoyed
Executive Brief
The 30-second read
Recent court filings reveal Meta internally discussed a strategy to discredit social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, an influential critic of the company. The disclosure has backfired by uniting Haidt and his traditional detractors in collective opposition against Meta's corporate tactics.
- 01Court documents expose a three-year-old Meta proposal to manipulate public opinion against Jonathan Haidt
- 02The aggressive strategy has failed to weaken Haidt's influence on social media policy
- 03Revealed internal plans have inadvertently unified diverse industry critics against Meta
- 04Current developments highlight significant reputational risks regarding Meta's response to external academic research
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Business Travel Management 2026: Program Blueprint →AI-generated summary · Verify at source
Three years ago, Meta apparently considered a plan to turn public opinion against one of its most influential opponents, Jonathan Haidt. But since the proposal was revealed in court filings last month, it's backfired. In fact, if there's one thing Anxious Generation author Haidt and his critics can agree on, it's being mad at Meta. […]