Ex-Facebook policy chief sues Meta to overturn order barring her from speaking about explosive memoir
A former Facebook policy executive, Sarah Wynn-Williams, is taking legal action against Meta regarding an arbitration order that has prevented her from discussing her revealing memoir about her time at the tech giant for over a year.
In her lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, Wynn-Williams claims that Meta has used an invalid arbitration agreement to impose financial penalties of $50,000 for each alleged violation of the confidentiality agreement, including every book sale.
Her book, “Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism,” which became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, alleges that Facebook executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, were willing to share data with the Chinese Communist Party in exchange for access to the Chinese market.
Wynn-Williams also accuses her former colleagues of sexual harassment, with allegations against Joel Kaplan, Meta’s president of global affairs, and former COO Sheryl Sandberg.
Meta responded to the allegations by stating, “This former employee is trying to use the legal process to sell books, which an arbitrator already ruled broke the agreement she signed with the company when she accepted a large severance payment years ago.”
Wynn-Williams was terminated in 2017, with Meta claiming she made false claims against her colleagues. An internal investigation cleared Joel Kaplan of any wrongdoing, according to Meta.
While Zuckerberg has stated that Meta does not operate in China due to disagreements on operating conditions, Wynn-Williams’ allegations have sparked controversy.
After an arbitrator ruled against her making disparaging comments about Facebook, Wynn-Williams is now seeking to challenge the arbitration order, void her severance agreement, and seek compensatory damages.
Despite the legal restrictions, Wynn-Williams made a silent appearance at the Hay Festival, causing a significant increase in book sales in the UK.
Wynn-Williams alleges that Meta made signing a non-disparagement agreement and mandatory arbitration clauses a condition for reimbursing her business expenses and maintaining healthcare coverage for her and her children.
Following changes in policies related to non-disparagement clauses, Wynn-Williams believed she could speak freely, leading her to file whistleblower complaints and publish her book.
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