Is Big Tech using philanthropy to influence universities?
A former Harvard misinformation researcher named Joan Donovan recently filed a whistleblower complaint against the university. In it, she accused officials of bowing to tech giant Meta when she was ousted from her position following a $500 million donation from the charity of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Harvard denies Donovan’s accusations, but the fallout spotlights the influence Big Tech can have on academic institutions. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project, about how industry funding can come with strings attached.