Meta legal action forces Facebook whistleblower to stay silent at Hay festival

Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams was forced to sit in silence on stage at an event at Hay festival , after lawyers advised her not to speak because of ongoing legal action brought by Meta. Wynn-Williams, whose bestselling memoir, Careless People, details her years working at Facebook , was due to appear in conversation with the investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr and academic Tim Wu. Instead, Wynn-Williams sat on stage for the duration of the hour-long discussion between Cadwalladr and Wu, without speaking or responding. She was unable even to nod or shake her head. Introducing the panel, Cadwalladr said: “I think this might be a Hay first, in which we have an author in a hostage situation. Blink once if you can hear us, Sarah, twice if [Mark] Zuckerberg is an asshole.” At the end of the event, Wynn-Williams received a standing ovation from the audience, during which she was moved to tears. Describing the situation, Cadwalladr said: “I think we can say that Facebook is triggered.” Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive, has faced mounting legal restrictions since the publication last year of Careless People, which contains allegations about Meta’s internal culture and decision-making, including claims relating to political influence, the company’s approach to China and concerns about the wellbeing of its child users. Meta has strongly disputed the book’s claims. …