Sheryl Sandberg—Was directly involved in Facebook's use of Definers Public Affairs to conduct opposition research on critics
In 2018, it was revealed that Facebook hired Definers Public Affairs, a Republican opposition-research firm, to discredit critics and competitors. The firm circulated research linking anti-Facebook activists to George Soros, with anti-Semitic undertones. Sandberg initially denied knowledge of Definers but later admitted the firm's work was 'incorporated into materials' presented to her and referenced in emails she received. Reporting by the New York Times and BuzzFeed revealed Sandberg was directly involved, having sent an email asking if Soros had shorted Facebook's stock after his public criticism of the company.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Corporate Transparency | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Press Freedom | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.590 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)
Evidence (1 signal)
NYT and BuzzFeed reported Sandberg was directly involved in Definers opposition research on Soros
The New York Times and BuzzFeed reported that Sandberg was directly involved in Facebook's effort to research George Soros after his public criticism of Facebook. Facebook confirmed Sandberg sent an email asking if Soros had shorted Facebook stock. Sandberg initially denied knowledge of Definers but later admitted the firm's work was 'incorporated into materials' presented to her.