Platforms Quiet Critics Through Whisper Campaigns

Court documents show Meta staff discussed a low‑visibility 'whisper strategy' to get the academic community and media to disavow critic Jonathan Haidt. The notes name senior research staff and describe seeking ways to 'enrage' other scholars so mainstream outlets would view him as not credible. — If platforms quietly organize campaigns to undermine specific critics, it erodes public trust in institutions, biases academic debate, and creates a new vector of corporate influence on policy‑relevant expertise.