Mark Zuckerberg claimed Facebook was invented as a platform for “free expression” in 2019, but his company is now trying to silence whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams over her book criticizing him and fellow executives.
Wynn-Williams, a former director of global policy at Facebook, claims the company was willing to do anything to access China’s vast user base, including censoring posts and sharing data with the government. The allegations are in her book, “Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism”.
Meta took legal action against Wynn-Williams, arguing she broke a nondisparagement agreement, but an arbitrator ruled she must stop promoting the book. However, the publisher and parent company remain unaffected.
The book also reveals alleged personal scandals involving Sheryl Sandberg and Zuckerberg, including Sandberg’s assistant buying $13,000 worth of lingerie for both herself and her assistant. Wynn-Williams reported Joel Kaplan, who was her boss, for sexual harassment after he made suggestive comments during her pregnancy.
Zuckerberg is also criticized over his response to the China issue, where Facebook allegedly planned to censor posts and share user data with the government to gain access. Meta claims the book contains “false accusations” but Wynn-Williams’ whistleblower complaint paints a different picture.
This case highlights Zuckerberg’s hypocrisy as a self-proclaimed free speech advocate, who is now trying to silence critics. The launch of his new feature, which promotes “community notes”, raises questions about the true intention behind it.
Source: https://www.vox.com/technology/403954/facebook-whistleblower-book-zuckerberg-sandberg