Former Meta Executive Sarah Wynn-Williams Silenced at Hay Festival Over Book Promotion
Sarah Wynn-Williams, a New Zealand-born former executive at Meta, was unable to speak during a panel discussion about her book at the Hay Festival in Powys on Sunday. Her silence was attributed to ongoing legal proceedings initiated by Meta, her former employer.
Investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr, who appeared alongside Wynn-Williams and academic Tim Wu, explained the situation, stating that Wynn-Williams faces further legal action from Meta should she engage in any promotion of her book, "Careless People". Cadwalladr introduced Wynn-Williams as "an author in a hostage situation".
Meta Denies Censorship, Cites Arbitration Order
Meta has denied any intention to "silence" Wynn-Williams or restrict her freedom of speech. The company asserts that an interim arbitration order explicitly prohibits her from promoting her book, an agreement Wynn-Williams made during her employment at Meta. A letter from Wynn-Williams' lawyer, read by Cadwalladr, stated their understanding that Meta "obtained a temporary order preventing Ms Wynn-Williams from promoting her book or speaking about certain topics regardless of whether what she says is true".
Professor Tim Wu of Columbia University, who has advised both the Obama and Biden administrations, described the lawsuit as a "machine reaction" and accused Meta of "maximising the punishment" to deter other potential whistleblowers. Wu characterised the situation as "private censorship" and an assertion of power by a class of companies that operate with "sovereign effect", akin to "despotic nations".
Meta maintains that it is merely asking for the terms of the arbitrator's order to be observed, not attempting to restrict freedom of speech. The company, which owns platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, rebranded from Facebook in 2021, citing a focus on building a "metaverse" after facing a series of negative stories about its operations.
