Meta, Facebook’s parent company, secured a temporary ruling to silence former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams regarding her book, “Careless People.” Meta’s ban prevents her from promoting the memoir or criticizing the tech giant amid serious allegations.
Released Tuesday, Careless People details Wynn-Williams’ tenure at Meta from 2011 to 2017. She alleges sexual harassment by executive Joel Kaplan and claims Meta considered trading Hong Kong user data to enter China’s market. Meta argues the book breaches her non-disparagement agreement, prompting arbitration action.
While it couldn’t stop its release, Meta is trying to stop further sales of a new book written by a former employee:#meta #markzuckerberg pic.twitter.com/0vZIgxTgu6
— TheStreet (@TheStreet) March 14, 2025
The International Centre for Dispute Resolution granted Meta’s request, halting Wynn-Williams’ promotion and mandating retraction of past remarks. “Her claims are false,” Meta’s Andy Stone said on X, admitting China talks but denying service rollout. The Meta book ban holds until private arbitration resolves the dispute.
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Unfazed, Macmillan Publishers vowed to keep distributing the book, slamming Meta’s “silencing tactics.” The ruling doesn’t stop sales but follows Meta’s recent shifts, axing diversity efforts and fact-checking, which align with Trump, Kaplan’s ally and a new Meta leader.
Meta is trying to stop a former employee from promoting her book about Facebook https://t.co/QyC2tC9zeY
— Engadget (@engadget) March 13, 2025
The Meta book ban spotlights free speech versus corporate control. As Meta navigates its image, this legal clash could shape how ex-employees expose tech giants’ inner workings.