Facebook has won an initial legal battle to prevent a former employee from publishing a book full of scandals.
Facebook has won an initial legal battle to prevent a former employee from publishing a book full of scandals.
Meta won a preliminary court ruling against the release of former Facebook policy official Sarah Wynn-Williams’ biography Careless People. The book’s sale was blocked this week when an arbitrator sided with Meta.
Wynn-Williams’ shocking memoir recounts Facebook’s internal difficulties, including Mark Zuckerberg’s unsuccessful Chinese market entry and Joel Kaplan’s alleged improper behavior. The book also details embarrassing occasions between Zuckerberg and international leaders to illuminate Facebook’s leadership during a key time.
Meta claims Wynn-Williams breached a non-disparagement agreement when she left the firm in 2017. Tech giant quickly began a PR campaign labeling the memoir a “new book of old news” and sought an arbitration emergency injunction to prohibit its dissemination.
In Meta’s favor, the arbitrator ordered Wynn-Williams to stop all promotional efforts, distribution, and negative comments regarding the firm on Thursday. The book is now for sale, but it is unclear how the decision will affect its availability or if remaining copies will be withdrawn.
Meta representative Andy Stone said the verdict confirmed the company’s position:
The verdict confirms that Sarah Wynn-Williams’ defamatory book should never have been published. After years of quiet, she hurried publishing without fact-checking.
Careless People’s publisher, Flatiron Books, was mentioned in Meta’s case but hasn’t commented on the verdict.
