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Meta discussed attacking Jonathan Haidt — now even his haters are annoyed
Publication: The Verge
Author: Lauren Feiner
Source published: 13/11/2026, 14:30:00 UTC
Briefing created: 13/11/2026, 14:32:24 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 13/11/2026, 14:31:25 UTC.
Briefings
Meta employees in 2023 discussed a 'Whisper strategy' to turn public opinion against Jonathan Haidt, who was publishing a book claiming social media harms children. The plan backfired as Haidt and his critics became more annoyed by the attack, with court filings confirming the internal discussion before the plan was revealed in California. The evidence shows the strategy was considered three years prior to the 2026 publication of the book, but no specific metrics on campaign effectiveness or Haidt's reaction statistics are provided.
Key points
- Meta employees discussed a 'Whisper strategy' to turn public opinion against Jonathan Haidt in 2023, who was publishing a book arguing platforms hurt children.
- The plan backfired as Haidt and his critics became more annoyed by the attack, with court filings confirming the internal discussion before the plan was revealed in California.
Context
This finding matters because it reveals a corporate strategy to attack a prominent intellectual figure, which ironically strengthened his public standing. The evidence comes from California court filings showing internal discussions in 2023 about turning academics against Haidt, who was preparing to publish a book criticizing social media's impact on kids.
Limitations
Evidence is limited to internal discussions in 2023 and the subsequent revelation in California court filings. No specific metrics on campaign effectiveness, Haidt's reaction statistics, or the number of 'haters' annoyed are provided. The source is a single article from The Verge dated 2026-11-13, and preprint status is not confirmed.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 13/11/2026, 14:32:24 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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