Internal Meta notes made public in the federal social media addiction case show staff discussing how to turn researchers and reporters against Jonathan Haidt, the New York University psychologist whose book The Anxious Generation links smartphones and social media to rising anxiety and depression in teens.
The notes come from Meta meetings in March 2023. They describe a “whisper strategy” to “turn other academics against Haidt” instead of answering him directly. A March 8 note says Curtiss Cobb, then Meta’s vice president of research, was tasked with figuring out “how do we get the academic community to disavow Haidt.” Another line reads, “can’t co-opt them, so how do we enrage them.”
The notes also say to “get Gellman to write a take-down piece.” It is not clear who that refers to. Columbia University statistician Andrew Gelman wrote on October 27 that he was never hired by Facebook to go after Haidt. The documents do not show whether Meta acted on any of these ideas, and Meta did not respond to reporters’ requests for comment.
Other records in the filing show that in March 2023 Meta’s legal team tried to block or reshape a planned study on teen well-being, and that a December 2022 email involving Nick Clegg, then Meta’s head of global affairs, warned that a presentation to the National Academies of Sciences could raise questions about app design the company hoped to avoid.
How the Records Came Out
The records were made public in late October in the federal case in Oakland, California, before Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. They surfaced during a long fight over documents Meta held back by calling them private communications with its lawyers.
This month the judge refused Meta’s request to use an AI tool to recheck those claims. Meta then agreed to re-review its claims on about 170,000 documents at a pace of roughly 20,000 a week, with a court-appointed referee, retired federal magistrate judge Suzanne Segal, checking samples of its work. More records may come out before the next federal trial brought by school districts, set for February 2027, and during the Los Angeles trial against Meta and Snap, where opening statements are expected in early November.
What It Means for Families
Families suing Meta allege the company knew Instagram and Facebook harmed young users and did not warn them. Records like these go to what Meta knew and how it responded when experts raised concerns. They do not decide any one family’s claim, but juries weigh this kind of evidence in deciding whether a company acted carelessly. See our overview of Meta’s internal documents for earlier records.
Meta’s settlement with state attorneys general pays the states, not families. Families who want compensation for a child’s treatment and suffering must file their own claims.
Who May Have a Claim
The strongest claims usually involve a young person who:
- Began heavy use of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube before age 18
- Is now 25 or younger
- Was diagnosed with depression or severe anxiety, an eating disorder or a body image disorder, or harmed themselves or attempted suicide
- Received medical or counseling treatment
Families who lost a child may also have a claim.
Doyle APC handles social media addiction claims together with experienced co-counsel.
If you or your child is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Common Questions
Did Meta carry out the plan against Haidt?
The notes show staff discussing ideas. They do not show whether Meta acted on them.
Will more Meta documents become public?
Likely. Meta is re-reviewing about 170,000 documents it withheld, under the eye of a court-appointed referee, and more records are expected at upcoming trials.
Is it too late to file a claim?
No global settlement for families has been announced, and new claims are still being filed. Each state sets its own deadline, so it is worth acting soon.
What compensation can a family seek?
Claims seek medical and counseling expenses, past and future, along with compensation for pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. You pay nothing unless there is a recovery.