Sarah Bell, BBC News<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meta has won an emergency ruling in the US to temporarily stop a former director of Facebook from promoting or further distributing copies of her memoir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book, Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, who used to be the company\u2019s global public policy director, includes a series of critical claims about what she witnessed during her seven years working at Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook\u2019s parent company, Meta, says the ruling \u2013 which orders her to stop promotions \u201cto the extent within her control\u201d \u2013 affirms that \u201cthe false and defamatory book should never have been published\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UK publisher Macmillan says it is \u201ccommitted to upholding freedom of speech\u201d and Ms Wynn-Williams\u2019 \u201cright to tell her story\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It told the BBC that she had been due to do \u201cextensive media\u201d in the UK and internationally and \u201chas been prevented from doing so\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At a hearing on Wednesday at the American Arbitration Association \u2013 a neutral third party which resolves disputes out of court \u2013 Ms Wynn-Williams was told she must refrain from engaging in or \u201camplifying any further disparaging, crucial or otherwise detrimental comments\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All previous disparaging comments \u201cto the extent within her control\u201d must also be retracted, the ruling also said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book is former New Zealand diplomat Ms Wynn-Williams\u2019 account of joining Facebook in 2011 and watching it grow from a \u201cfront row seat\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her allegations include that executives had worked \u201chand in glove\u201d with the Chinese government<\/a> on potential ways of allowing Beijing to censor and control content in exchange for access to the lucrative market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meta disputes the allegations contained in the book. Regarding China, it says it is \u201cno secret we were once interested\u201d in operating services there. \u201cWe ultimately opted not to go through with the ideas we\u2019d explored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ms Wynn-Williams has also filed a whistleblower complaint with the US markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging Meta misled investors \u2013 which Meta also denies. The BBC has reviewed the complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the emergency hearing the arbitrator, Nicholas Gowen, found Meta had provided enough evidence that Ms Wynn-Williams had potentially violated her severance contract. She did not personally attend Thursday\u2019s hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his ruling, Mr Gowan said Meta would suffer \u201cimmediate and irreparable loss\u201d in the absence of a temporary ruling in the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He did not order the book\u2019s publisher, Flatiron Books, or its parent company, Macmillan, to take any action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ruling will remain in effect unless it is modified or lifted following a full hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the decision, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a post on X: \u201cThis ruling affirms that Sarah Wynn-Williams\u2019 false and defamatory book should never have been published.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Careless People was released in the US, where it is number six on the Amazon chart, on Tuesday. It was published in the UK on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a statement, a spokeswoman for Macmillan said: \u201cAs publishers, we are committed to upholding freedom of speech and her right to tell her story. Due to legal process instituted by Meta, the author has been prevented from continuing to participate in the book\u2019s publicity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" March 12, 2025 (bbc.com) Katie Razzall, Culture and media editor\u2022@katierazz Sarah Bell, BBC News Meta has won an emergency ruling in the US to temporarily stop a former director of Facebook from promoting or further distributing copies of her memoir. The book, Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, who used to… Continue reading ![\"BBC](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/355c\/live\/da2d5260-fda1-11ef-8c03-7dfdbeeb2526.jpg.webp\")
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