Cambridge, Massachusetts – December 5, 2023: Joan Donovan, a prominent disinformation scholar who departed Harvard University in August, has leveled accusations against the prestigious institution, claiming that her academic freedom was curtailed and her research team dismantled as they delved into a trove of Facebook files deemed crucial in internet history. The allegations coincide with a $500 million donation to Harvard by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, led by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.
In a whistleblower disclosure made public on Monday, Donovan called for investigations into what she perceives as “inappropriate influence” from Harvard’s general counsel, the Massachusetts attorney general’s office, and the U.S. Department of Education. The revelation was met with strong condemnation from Whistleblower Aid, a legal nonprofit supporting Donovan, whose CEO, Libby Liu, labeled the actions of Harvard’s Kennedy School and its dean as a “shocking betrayal” of academic integrity.
“The outcome is the same: corporate interests are undermining research and academic freedom to the detriment of the public,” Liu stated in a press release.
Harvard’s Response:
Responding to the allegations, Harvard’s Kennedy School refuted the claims of unfair treatment and donor interference. Spokesman James F. Smith issued a statement stating, “The narrative is full of inaccuracies and baseless insinuations, particularly the suggestion that Harvard Kennedy School allowed Facebook to dictate its approach to research.”
The Whistleblower Aid statement quoted Donovan accusing Dean Douglas Elmendorf of subjecting her team to a “death by a thousand cuts” after their plans to create a research clearinghouse for the Facebook Files were initiated. The files, compiled by former employee Frances Haugen, aimed to highlight public harms caused by Facebook.
Joan Donovan’s Perspective:
Donovan, who considered the Facebook Files as the “most important documents in internet history,” expressed her belief that the revelations exposed Facebook’s role in radicalizing individuals, fostering racial animosity, and negatively impacting teen mental health. Despite Facebook’s public stance downplaying Haugen’s revelations, independent researchers like Donovan saw them as a confirmation of the platform’s detrimental effects.
“I lost my job for [telling the truth]. I couldn’t hire and I couldn’t start doing projects,” Donovan said in an interview. She accused Elmendorf of restricting her fundraising efforts, limiting conference participation, and preventing her from launching a podcast, citing concerns about raising her public profile.
Harvard’s Perspective:
The Kennedy School contended that Donovan, as a staff member and not faculty, was not fired but rather had her contract cut short. It asserted that all research projects at the school must be led by faculty members. The school maintained that it tried to identify another faculty member to lead the project but, after unsuccessful attempts, allowed the project to wind down.
The Kennedy School clarified that it did not receive any portion of the Chan Zuckerberg gift, which was directed to Harvard University for an unrelated artificial intelligence initiative. The school ultimately released an archive of the Facebook Files, but Donovan claimed it was less ambitious than her vision.
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, declined to comment on the dispute between Donovan and Harvard. The controversy sheds light on the complex interplay between academic institutions, corporate interests, and the pursuit of truth in the realm of research.
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