A disinformation researcher from Harvard University has come forward with allegations that the prestigious institution shut down her research project to please Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is a major donor. Dr. Joan Donovan’s claims have sparked concerns about the influence that tech giants like Facebook may have over independent research. The details of her disclosure were first reported by The Washington Post.
Dr. Donovan worked for the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she led the Technology and Social Change Research Project. This project focused on studying media manipulation campaigns. However, Donovan claims that Harvard informed her last year that they were shutting down the project.
In a disclosure sent to Harvard leaders and the US Education Secretary, Donovan alleges that the University began restricting her research after receiving a $500 million donation from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, run by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. The donation was intended to fund a new university-wide center on artificial intelligence. Harvard strongly denies Dr. Donovan’s claims and disputes her allegations of unfair treatment and donor interference.
According to Harvard, their policy requires all research projects to be led by faculty members, and Dr. Donovan was hired as a staff member to manage the media manipulation project. When the original faculty leader left the project, Harvard attempted to find another faculty member to lead it, but they were unsuccessful. Therefore, the project was given time to wind down. Harvard asserts that Dr. Donovan was not fired, and most members of the research team chose to stay at the school in new roles.
Harvard maintains that they continue to research misinformation and social media’s role in it. They have made the leaked Facebook documents, known as the “Facebook Papers,” available to the public. Additionally, Harvard runs an academic journal on misinformation. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative stated that they were unaware of Donovan’s departure from Harvard and had no involvement in it.
Dr. Donovan’s disclosure seeks an investigation into Harvard’s actions and the protection of academic freedom. It asserts that Harvard’s alleged prioritization of corporate interests over research integrity and the public interest is a betrayal of academic values. The disclosure was sent on behalf of Dr. Donovan by Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit legal group.
During her time at Harvard, Dr. Donovan contributed significant research on online disinformation. The center released reports on Covid-19 misinformation campaigns, and Dr. Donovan published a book called “Meme Wars,” which explores how far-right actors use memes to undermine democracy. She testified before House and Senate subcommittees on online misinformation and frequently acted as an expert in news reports.
In February, the Kennedy School announced the end of Donovan’s Technology and Social Change Project and restricted her from raising new funding or conducting further hiring. Donovan later joined Boston University as an assistant professor. She stated that she “had to leave” Harvard because she felt unsupported by the school as a scholar.
These allegations raise important questions about the relationship between tech giants and academic institutions. The public deserves transparency and independent research on the impact of social media platforms like Facebook. It is crucial to protect academic freedom and ensure that research is conducted without external interference.
