Updated

Court filings in California show Meta employees discussed in 2023 a 'Whisper strategy' to turn academics against Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation. The filings were made public last month in consolidated lawsuits accusing Meta and other social media companies of misleading the public about risks to teens. The filings also show employees considering a 'Below-the-line campaign,' including an idea to write a take-down piece on a critic, possibly Columbia professor Andrew Gelman, though the spelling differs. Meta declined to comment, and it is unclear whether it acted on the strategy. Candice Odgers and danah boyd said Meta never approached them, and Gelman said he had never been contacted by Meta and found the idea creepy. Chris Ferguson called it gross. Haidt said he has seen no evidence his critics were paid by Meta, that his own research has been confirmed by Meta's internal studies, and that Meta's documents show a plan to distort the academic debate. The Verge reported that the disclosure has drawn criticism from both Haidt's supporters and his critics.