Meta bosses tried to smear academic and author who led global campaign highlighting damage of social media to young people's mental health, court documents show

Published: 11:47 EDT, 29 October 2026 | Updated: 11:48 EDT, 29 October 2026 Meta bosses tried to smear an academic and author who has led a global campaign highlighting the damage of social media to young people’s mental health, it was reported today.Minutes of a meeting, disclosed as part of a US court case, show the Silicon Valley giant tried to persuade the academic community to ‘disavow’ Professor Jonathan Haidt in a bid to turn the scientific community against him.The Times reported that this was ahead of the publication of his book The Anxious Generation, which explores issues surrounding the mental health of young people.Senior Meta staff discussed recruiting researchers to write ‘takedown’ pieces undermining Professor Haidt's credibility, the newspaper reported.Professor Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, has led a global campaign highlighting the damage to children's mental health caused by smartphones and social media.His book has become a best-seller and he played an influential role in pushing for the government in Australia to implement a social media ban for children.He is known to have briefed officials in Whitehall before a similar move was announced by former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. Senior Meta staff discussed recruiting researchers to write ‘takedown’ pieces undermining Professor Haidt's credibility, the court documents show Professor Haidt said he was ‘not surprised’ by the emergence of the remarks made about him, uncovered in court documents The court documents relate to a case in which a coalition of school districts in the US is suing Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.Minutes from a meeting on March 8, 2023, appear to refer to Curtiss Cobb, then Meta's vice-president of research.They say: ‘Curtiss's goal for this work: how do we get the academic community to disavow Haidt.‘Can't co-opt them, so how do we enrage them...So the media finds him not credible. Not thinking about this as a loud strategy. A below-the-line campaign.’The minutes add: ‘Get Gelman to write a takedown piece.’This could refer to Andrew Gelman, a Columbia University professor, who had been critical of Professor Haidt.On March 7, 2023, staff also talked about how to discredit Professor Haidt's work. One individual suggested: ‘Whisper strategy - turn academics against Haidt.’Professor Haidt said he was ‘not surprised’, adding: ‘It's a company seemingly determined to keep the truth from coming out, even within its own walls.’Meta was contacted for comment.