Lid-lifting Kiwi author forced to sit in silence at writers' festival
4 hours ago
- #whistleblower censorship
- #Meta legal action
- #Hay Festival controversy
- Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive, was forced to sit in silence during a Hay Festival panel about her memoir due to legal threats from Meta.
- Meta threatened legal action, including a $50,000 fine per disparaging comment, citing a binding interim arbitration award that prohibits her from promoting the book.
- The panel included investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr and academic Tim Wu, who criticized Meta's actions as censorship and a warning to potential whistleblowers.
- Wynn-Williams' book, 'Careless People,' details her time at Facebook, alleging sexual harassment and attempts to appease Chinese government censors for market entry.
- Meta disputed the claims, calling the book a mix of outdated, reported, and false accusations, and secured a court order blocking promotion or derogatory statements.
- The Hay Festival director noted the legal pressure on Wynn-Williams, and her previous interviews were canceled under Meta's restrictions.