Meta has won a legal victory against a former employee, Sarah Wynn-Williams, who published an explosive memoir about alleged sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior by senior executives during her time at the company. An arbitrator temporarily prohibited Ms. Wynn-Williams from promoting or further distributing copies of the book.
The dispute centers on allegations made in “Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism,” which Meta argues is prohibited under a nondisparagement contract signed by Ms. Wynn-Williams as a global affairs employee. The company claims that Ms. Wynn-Williams’ book contains false accusations about its executives.
In response to the allegations, Meta has denied any wrongdoing and stated that Ms. Wynn-Williams was fired for poor performance. An investigation at the time determined that she made misleading and unfounded allegations of harassment.
While the ruling may be a blow to Ms. Wynn-Williams’ book, it is unclear whether Meta’s attempts to claw back her work will ultimately be successful. A 2023 ruling by the National Labor Relations Board stated that companies cannot offer severance agreements that prohibit workers from discussing sexual harassment or assault accusations.
Meta has taken strong action against Ms. Wynn-Williams’ claims, with executives calling most of them “wildly exaggerated” or “flat-out false.” The company’s board of directors previously stated that it does not require employees to remain silent about harassment or discrimination and strictly prohibits retaliation against personnel who speak up on these issues.
The arbitrator’s decision means that Ms. Wynn-Williams will be restricted from promoting the book, making further disparaging comments, and retracting previous statements deemed critical of Meta. However, the publisher, Flatiron Books, and its parent company, Macmillan, are not affected by the ruling.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/technology/meta-book-sales-blocked.html