Sarah Wynn-Williams, who joined Facebook in 2011 and became its global public-policy director, says the company terminated her in 2017 after she reported alleged sexual harassment by her boss, Joel Kaplan. Facebook attributed the dismissal to alleged poor performance and toxic behavior. In her 2025 book, Careless People, Wynn-Williams further alleged that Meta worked with representatives of the Chinese Communist Party to develop censorship tools compatible with China’s Great Firewall, and portrayed Mark Zuckerberg and other executives as placing growth and political access ahead of ethical safeguards. Meta disputed the account, calling the book out of date and inconsistent with current practices.
Meta sought to enforce a severance non-disparagement agreement, and an arbitrator barred Wynn-Williams from promoting or publicly discussing parts of the book. Louise Haigh said in September 2025 that Meta was attempting to impose a $50,000 penalty for each alleged breach. Wynn-Williams testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 9, 2025, and filed suit against Meta in June 2026, arguing that the arbitration order was unlawful and that she signed under financial duress. Her complaint also alleged an invasive surveillance campaign against her; those allegations remain contested, while the retaliation, censorship, and surveillance claims have not been judicially established.
