In a stunning new exposé, former Meta executive Sarah Wynn-Williams has unveiled the inner workings of Facebook in her memoir Careless People, detailing a culture of unchecked power, secrecy, and ethical failures at the tech giant. As reported by The Times UK, Wynn-Williams’ book has become a major talking point in Silicon Valley, shedding light on the leadership of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, whom she accuses of operating in an “opaque bubble” detached from reality.
Wynn-Williams, who served as Facebook’s global public policy director from 2011 to 2017, describes an environment where rules did not apply to those at the top. She paints Zuckerberg as a cross between a “truculent teen and a toddler,” who refused to wake up early for meetings with world leaders and demanded his colleagues let him win at board games. Sandberg, once heralded as a feminist icon with her Lean In movement, is portrayed in the book as an executive more focused on consolidating power than supporting women in the workplace.
Meta has aggressively pushed back against the book’s claims, obtaining a temporary injunction in the U.S. to prevent Wynn-Williams from further promoting it. However, despite Meta’s efforts to silence her, Careless People was published in the UK by Macmillan and quickly climbed Amazon’s bestseller charts, reaching No. 4 on the print list.
The memoir also delves into Facebook’s involvement in global politics, alleging that the company’s employees were embedded in Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, teaching his team how to maximize Facebook’s advertising tools. Despite initially dismissing claims that Facebook influenced the election, Zuckerberg later acknowledged the platform’s role in a private conversation with his staff. Wynn-Williams also recounts how Zuckerberg once sought to win favor with China, even asking President Xi Jinping to name his unborn child—a request that was flatly denied.
Among the most damning allegations are those regarding Facebook’s handling of misinformation and its role in global conflicts. Wynn-Williams highlights how the platform’s unchecked virality contributed to the spread of hate speech in Myanmar, where the United Nations accused Facebook of fueling genocide against the Rohingya people. She also alleges that Facebook attempted to negotiate with the Chinese government, offering to assist in censoring viral content in exchange for access to the lucrative Chinese market.
The book also details Wynn-Williams’ personal experiences at Facebook, including allegations of sexual harassment by Joel Kaplan, a top executive who recently replaced Nick Clegg as Meta’s head of global affairs. Meta has dismissed these claims as “misleading and unfounded.”
Wynn-Williams’ revelations arrive at a time when tech executives are becoming increasingly entwined with global politics. She warns that figures like Zuckerberg and Elon Musk wield “unfathomable power” and that their influence over artificial intelligence could have even greater consequences than social media. “We blindly wandered into the social media era. We cannot afford to do the same with AI,” she cautions.
Despite the backlash from Meta, Wynn-Williams stands by her decision to speak out, questioning why she remained silent for so long. “I had to ask myself: who was my silence benefiting?” she says. With Careless People now in the public domain, it appears she has chosen to let the light in—whether Facebook likes it or not.
