Meta’s Discussed Plan to Turn Opinion Against Jonathan Haidt Draws Criticism

What changed

Meta discussed a plan, three years ago, to turn public opinion against Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation. The proposal resurfaced in court filings revealed last month, and it has produced an unusual alliance: Haidt and some of his critics are both angry with Meta.

Why it matters

The episode turns a fight over ideas into a fight over influence. Meta was not merely discussing how to answer an opponent; the reported aim was to shape public opinion around him. That makes the platform itself part of the argument.

The practical question is whether the plan ever became action. That remains unclear. But even as an old proposal, its public return has damaged Meta’s position: people who disagree with Haidt can still see an attempt to manage the debate around him as a problem of its own.