The lawyer representing Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams has said he is also blocked from promoting her memoir, after a legal ruling that left the former executive silent at the Hay festival. Ravi Naik said the arbitration terms prevent both Wynn-Williams and her “agents” from promoting Careless People or saying anything damaging about Meta.
Naik said the restriction is more than a theoretical warning and could expose Wynn-Williams to “punitive” damages if the book is promoted. He also said Meta has indicated in writing that her appearance at Hay would count as a breach of the interim arbitration award if she used it to promote the memoir or criticise the company.
Silence on stage at Hay
Wynn-Williams had been due to appear with investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr and academic Tim Wu, but instead sat silently in front of the audience for the full hour. She was not allowed to speak, and Naik said the ruling even prevented her from nodding or shaking her head.
Cadwalladr introduced the panel by describing the situation as unprecedented for the festival, saying, “I think this might be a Hay first, in which we have an author in a hostage situation.” The comment captured the unusual tension around the event, which turned into a public display of the legal limits now surrounding the memoir.
Meta’s dispute over the book
Meta has rejected the claims in Careless People, calling them false and defamatory. The company has also denied the book’s allegations of sexual harassment and says Wynn-Williams was dismissed for “poor performance and toxic behaviour.”
The memoir has drawn attention because it includes serious accusations about Meta’s culture and conduct. In public statements, Meta has described the book as a mix of outdated and previously reported claims, along with false allegations about its executives.
Lawyer says the restriction affects legal representation
Naik, who is legal director at AWO, said the situation raises difficult questions about a client’s ability to speak publicly and a lawyer’s ability to respond on her behalf. Speaking on BBC Radio’s Today programme, he said: “Never in my life have I faced a circumstance where my client cannot speak about her truth and I as a lawyer cannot speak on behalf of my client.”
He said Meta’s position should be treated seriously because the company has already made clear how it views Wynn-Williams’s public appearances. According to Naik, Meta also said it would seek sanctions if she promoted the book or criticised the company during the event.
Earlier claims and wider political attention
Wynn-Williams previously told a Senate judiciary subcommittee that Meta worked “hand in glove” with China over censorship tools, an allegation the company has denied. Her claims have continued to attract scrutiny because they touch on Meta’s internal culture, its handling of dissent, and its relationships with governments.
The dispute has also drawn political comment. Republican senator Josh Hawley said at the hearing that Wynn-Williams had been threatened with a $50,000 fine every time she mentioned Facebook in public, although Meta’s account was that the damages would apply to each breach of the separation agreement she signed when she left in 2017. Labour MP Louise Haigh also said last year that Wynn-Williams was being “pushed to financial ruin” by Meta’s legal stance.
Meta declined to comment directly on Wynn-Williams’s Hay appearance, but the company continues to dispute the memoir’s claims and the public allegations linked to it. For now, the legal fight means the book remains at the center of a wider battle over who can speak, who can respond, and how far Meta can go in enforcing the arbitration award.
Read more at: www.theguardian.com