FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 5, 2023 

CONTACT: Ashley Woolheater, woolheater@openmarketsinstitute.org 

WASHINGTON – Open Markets Institute Executive Director Barry Lynn, Policy Director Phillip Longman, and Center for Journalism and Liberty at Open Markets Director Courtney Radsch released the following joint statement regarding Joan Donovan’s complaint that Meta improperly used its influence at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government to shut down her research regarding Facebook’s business practices.

“We at the Open Markets Institute support Dr. Joan Donovan’s demand that the U.S. Education Department thoroughly investigate how Meta’s substantial financial contributions to Harvard have affected the university’s academic freedom and research integrity. As we know from our own experience, the Big Tech firms can use their vast resources and charitable contributions to improperly influence research institutions, intimidate critics, and undermine oversight.

“In 2017, Open Markets was forced out of our parent organization, the New America Foundation, after posting a statement affirming correctly that Google was illegally using its market dominance to advantage its own products and partners over competitors. At the time, New America had received over $21 million from Google, Eric Schmidt and his family foundation, and jumped as soon as Schmidt complained about our absolutely accurate criticism. In the 6 years since, Big Tech’s money and influence over think tanks, academia, and journalism has only expanded.  

“These are democratic institutions that we are supposed to be able to trust to act as checks on corporate and government power. Corporate funding weighing on decisions about research, personnel, even factual statements, at such institutions is unacceptable. We urge authorities to take a close look at both Harvard’s and the Kennedy School’s practices as they relate to corporate influence, free speech, and academic freedom.” 

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