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Former Harvard disinformation scholar says she was pushed out of her job after college faced pressure from Facebook (www.cnn.com)
submitted 11 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world
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A nationally recognized online disinformation researcher has accused Harvard University of shutting down the project she led to protect its relationship with mega-donor and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The allegations, made by Dr. Joan Donovan, raise questions about the influence the tech giant might have over seemingly independent research. Facebook’s parent company Meta has long sought to defend itself against research that implicates it in harming society: from the proliferation of election disinformation to creating addictive habits in children. Details of the disclosure were first reported by The Washington Post.

Beginning in 2018, Donovan worked for the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and ran its Technology and Social Change Research Project, where she led studies of media manipulation campaigns. But last year Harvard informed Donovan it was shutting the project down, Donovan claims.

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[-] Wooster@startrek.website 183 points 11 months ago

Reminds me of cigarette companies burying research on lung disease.

[-] WashedOver@lemmy.ca 123 points 11 months ago

Or the Oil industry hiding and then discrediting their own research into climate change?

[-] supercritical@lemmy.world 77 points 11 months ago

Or the oil industry hiring economists to refute other economists conclusions when it comes to damages from oil spills (see Exxon Valdez)

[-] Montagge@kbin.social 39 points 11 months ago

Or the sugar industry convincing everyone that fat was the problem

[-] ItsMeSpez@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Not to mention hiding the huge amount of slave labour that goes into sugar production.

[-] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 46 points 11 months ago

Or the sugar industry burying studies blaming obesity on sugar (and blaming fatty foods instead)

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this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2023
742 points (98.2% liked)

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