Whistleblower from Facebook and author of "Careless People" declares that the company's arbitration requirement hinders her from addressing Congress.
Rewritten Article:
Feisty Sarah Wynn-Williams, ex-Facebook exec turned whistleblower, finds herself gagged by Meta, who've blocked her from discussing her book and experiences at the social media colossus with Congress.
This kerfuffle starts from arbitration brouhaha with the tech behemoth following the publication of Wynn-Williams' tell-all memoir, "Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism," earlier this month.
Meta wasted no time in attempting to hush up Wynn-Williams, deeming her book full of "out-of-date" claims and "false accusations." On the very day of its publication, Meta slammed an arbitration demand on her, alleging that the book violated a voluntary non-disparagement agreement she had signed upon leaving the company. The day after, an arbitrator handed down a temporary order barring her from dolling out any "disparaging, critical, or otherwise detrimental comments" about Meta and halted her from peddling the book.
Now, this order is barring Wynn-Williams from responding to requests from lawmakers in various countries eager to hear her delve into her time at the company, her attorneys' response in the arbitration proceedings, obtained by CNN, reveals.
"Members of the U.S. Congress, the UK Parliament, the European Union Parliament, and other legislative bodies have requested a sit-down with Ms. Wynn-Williams to discuss the issues of public concern raised in her memoir," the document, filed Tuesday, states. But the order seems to muzzle Wynn-Williams from participating in these discussions.
Wynn-Williams' response in the arbitration proceedings hasn't been disclosed before.
"Careless People" contains some shocking revelations about Wynn-Williams' tenure at the company, from Meta's endeavors to break into China, to alleged sexual harassment by now-policy chief Joel Kaplan.
The arbitrator's emergency order forces Wynn-Williams to keep her trap shut about anything deemed negative about the company, even if she stands by her words, according to a filing Meta made public earlier this month.
The emergency order also points out that Wynn-Williams isn't prohibited from "filing a claim with a federal, state, or local government agency." However, her response claims that because legislative bodies aren't responsible for enforcing laws, she is unable to converse with lawmakers.
Meta opted out of commenting on Wynn-Williams' request to lift the order.
Wynn-Williams filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission in April 2024 and with the Department of Justice in 2025, her filing shows.
Wynn-Williams' memoir surfaces as Meta grapples with escalating scrutiny and regulatory pressure from lawmakers worldwide, over issues such as teen safety and election misinformation. Two other ex-employees have also stepped up as whistleblowers, and the company's executives have been repeatedly called for hearings on Capitol Hill.
Wynn-Williams spent six years at the company, now dubbed Meta, serving most recently as director of global public policy, before she was let go in 2017, which Meta claimed was due to "poor performance and toxic behavior." Wynn-Williams' book hints that she was canned for reporting sexual harassment.
Meta sent a letter to Wynn-Williams' publisher before the book's release, stating they had made "no attempt" to verify her claims with the company and threatened legal action if the book contained any false statements or implications. Yet, despite Meta's best efforts to derail the book, it found a spot on the New York Times' bestseller list this week.
"The public interest suffers due to her inability to respond to outreach from legislators, journalists, and the public," the document concludes, adding, "The public interest balance here tilts heavily in Ms. Wynn-Williams's favor, as demonstrated by the interest in her evidence from U.S., UK, EU, and other national and supra-national legislatures and regulatory bodies."
- The filing reveals that Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former executive at Facebook turned whistleblower, has filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission in April 2024 and with the Department of Justice in 2025.
- The emergency order, imposed by an arbitrator, has halted Wynn-Williams from discussing her book and experiences at the tech conglomerate, Meta, with various lawmakers, ranging from the U.S. Congress to the European Union Parliament, implying a restriction of free speech for those sharing critical insights about a business.
- Amid the escalating scrutiny and regulatory pressure from lawmakers worldwide, Meta's attempts to hush up whistleblowers like Wynn-Williams could indicate a continuous tension between tech corporations and government bodies, as these entities seek transparency in business practices, especially in regards to public concern regarding teen safety and election misinformation.
