(NEW YORK)— Meta’s legal campaign to prevent former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams from promoting her memoir, “Careless People,” is a blatant attempt to censor free speech, PEN America said today.
Viktorya Vilk, director of Digital Safety and Free Expression, said: “By deploying this type of legal intimidation to suppress free speech, Meta is engaging in egregious hypocrisy. Mere months ago, the company dropped professional fact-checking and loosened its hate speech policies under the guise of “prioritizing speech.” The fact that they’re now trying to stop the distribution and promotion of a book tells you everything you need to know about just how much Meta values free speech.”
A chronicle of Wynn-Williams’ seven years working for Facebook, “Careless People” includes allegations of sexual harassment against top executives and collusion with the Chinese government to censor critical voices. Last week, an arbiter ruled in favor of Meta’s emergency application to stop Wynn-Williams from speaking or writing critically about the company—regardless of the truth or falsity of her allegations—on the grounds that she potentially violated a non-disparagement clause from her 2017 severance agreement with Meta. The ruling also prohibits the author from promoting or further distributing copies of her book.
Vilk said: “The weaponization of non-disparagement provisions to suppress information of significant public interest—such as allegations of harmful conduct by one of the most powerful companies on earth—is widespread in the tech sector. And while Wynn-Williams should be entitled to legal protections as a whistleblower, given that she filed a formal whistleblower complaint with the US Government, it remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will uphold whistleblower protections. Meta must immediately drop its legal attacks against Wynn-Williams and instead focus its efforts on answering to the appalling allegations laid out in her book.”
“Careless People” was published by Macmillan, which has firmly stood behind Wynn-Williams, and the book remains for sale. The author has not yet publicly commented since the arbitration ruling effectively muzzled her from discussing her own writing.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, mmargolies@pen.org, 718-530-3582