In a bold move that has captivated attention across the United States, former Meta executive Sarah Wynn-Williams has spotlighted her turbulent experiences inside the tech giant with her newly published memoir, Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism. Since its release on March 11, 2025, the book has soared to prominence, reaching No. 3 on Amazon’s best-seller list.
Wynn-Williams, who served as Meta's director of global public policy from 2011 until 2018, paints a striking picture filled with intense accusations against her former employer and its top executives, particularly Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg. Her criticisms center not only on alleged personal encounters with harassment but also on a toxic workplace culture that she claims permeated the company.
Among the numerous allegations, Wynn-Williams contends that Zuckerberg lied during his 2018 Senate testimony regarding his dealings with the Chinese Communist Party, asserting that Meta was willing to censor content and suppress political dissent to gain entry into the Chinese market. "They simply didn’t care," she notes, referring to the company’s indifference during humanitarian crises, such as the widespread violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, where Facebook faced accusations of letting hate speech and misinformation spread unimpeded.
In fact, Wynn-Williams recalls attempting to hire human rights experts to mitigate these issues during a crucial period but claims her efforts were thwarted by Joel Kaplan, now Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer. Kaplan allegedly blocked her initiatives and engaged in harassment, which ultimately contributed to her abrupt departure from the company.
Wynn-Williams recounts moments that emphasize the dysfunction within Meta, such as the time Sandberg purportedly sent her work documents while she was in labor. The culture, she suggests, fostered an environment where individuals like Kaplan could operate without accountability, leading to an atmosphere of fear and silence.
The memoir delves deeply into various personal anecdotes, portraying Zuckerberg as temperamental and disconnected from reality. She describes an instance where, during a trip to Peru, he infamously blamed his team for losing his passport. Additionally, she recounts a peculiar request during a trip to Asia, where Zuckerberg asked for either a "peace rally" or a "riot" to surround him— signaling his warped understanding of public relations.
Meta has vehemently refuted the claims made in Careless People, with spokesperson Andy Stone labeling the book a collection of "out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives." Stone asserted that Wynn-Williams was fired due to poor performance and pointed to a non-disparagement agreement that she allegedly breached by publishing the memoir.
In a strategic battle, Meta sought to block Wynn-Williams from promoting the book. However, this maneuver could be backfiring in spectacular fashion. Since the company’s attempts to suppress her voice, the media’s focused scrutiny of the memoir has only intensified, exemplifying the interdisciplinary ‘Streisand Effect’—where efforts to hide or censor information inadvertently result in greater attention to it.
Wynn-Williams’ narrative has sparked discussions about Meta's integrity and corporate ethics. She filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier in March, asserting that the company provided incomplete information about its relationships with China while pushing for greater market access.
Amidst all the controversies and legal battles, Wynn-Williams maintains firm in her belief about the revelations contained within her memoir. "People should read the book. The truth is in the book. They can make up their own minds. I stand by everything in the book," she asserts, urging readers to draw their own conclusions based on her experiences.
As the dust settles from her explosive revelations, the implications of Wynn-Williams’ story reach far beyond her personal grievances. They stand as a stark reminder of how power dynamics function within one of the world’s most influential companies and the ethics surrounding accountability in the tech industry. The widespread repercussions could significantly shape public perception of Meta and its executive leadership as corporate integrity comes under intense scrutiny.
