Facebook Wins Early Legal Battle to Stop Former Employee’s Book Full of Scandals

Meta has secured an early legal victory in its efforts to block the distribution of Careless People, a new memoir by former Facebook policy executive Sarah Wynn-Williams. The book, which went on sale earlier this week, has been temporarily halted following an arbitrator’s decision in Meta’s favor.

The controversy centers on Wynn-Williams’ explosive tell-all, which details internal tensions at Facebook, including Mark Zuckerberg’s failed attempts to enter the Chinese market and alleged inappropriate conduct by Meta’s current policy chief, Joel Kaplan. The book also recounts several awkward moments between Zuckerberg and world leaders, aiming to shed light on the inner workings of Facebook’s leadership during a pivotal period.

Meta, however, argues that Wynn-Williams violated a non-disparagement agreement signed during her departure from the company in 2017. The tech giant swiftly launched a public relations campaign calling the memoir a “new book of old news” and sought an emergency injunction through arbitration to stop its distribution.

On Thursday, the arbitrator ruled in Meta’s favor, ordering Wynn-Williams to cease all promotional activities, discontinue distribution, and refrain from making further disparaging remarks about the company. While the book is already available for sale, it remains unclear how the ruling will impact its future availability or whether remaining copies will be pulled from shelves.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone called the ruling a clear validation of the company’s position, stating:

“This ruling affirms that Sarah Wynn-Williams’ false and defamatory book should never have been published… She avoided standard fact-checking and rushed it to publication after years of silence.”

Flatiron Books, the publisher of Careless People, was also named in Meta’s complaint but has not yet commented publicly on the ruling.