Meta whistleblower’s lawyer says he too is prevented from promoting her book | Meta
The lawyer representing meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams said she too was prevented by a legal order from promoting her memoir after she quietly appeared on stage at the Hay festival.
Ravi Naik said the terms of a deal arbitration case This meant that neither Wynn-Williams nor her “representatives” could promote her best-selling book, Careless People, or say anything disparaging about the company.
Naik spoke after he was forced to sit quietly during Wynn-Williams’ appearance at Hay on Sunday due to the terms of the decision. Naik said the interim arbitration decision meant he would face the risk of having to pay “punitive” damages if he promoted the book.
“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 told BBC Radio’s Today program on Monday.
Meta claimed the book, which contained a number of allegations about the social media company’s behavior and culture, was false and defamatory. It also included allegations of sexual harassment, which the company denied. Meta said Wynn-Williams was fired for “poor performance and toxic behavior.”
Naik said Meta’s stance on Wynn-Williams’ Hay appearance was not a “hypothetical threat.”
According to Naik, Meta had said in writing that they felt Wynn-Williams’ attendance at the Hay speech would be a “violation” of the interim arbitration order and that they would seek sanctions if she promoted the book or criticized Meta for her appearance. Nail said Meta would likely seek to confirm the arbitration award made through the English courts in California.
Wynn-Williams was due to appear on stage to chat with investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr and academic Tim Wu, but spent the scheduled hour sitting in front of the audience without speaking. He also couldn’t nod or shake his head.
Introducing the panel, Cadwalladr said: “I think this might be a Hay first where a writer is in a hostage situation. Blink once if you can hear us, Sarah, blink twice if you can.” [Mark] Zuckerberg is an asshole.”
In testimony before the Senate judiciary subcommittee last year, Wynn-Williams claimed that Meta was working “hand in hand” with China on censorship tools; the company denied this.
Republican senator Josh Hawley claimed at the hearing that Wynn-Williams had been threatened with a $50,000 (£37,000) fine every time she mentioned Facebook in public. However, the BBC reported: According to MetaHe was faced with paying these damages for each violation of the separation agreement he signed when leaving the company in 2017.
Labor MP Louse Haigh claimed last year that Wynn-Williams had been “led into financial ruin” by Meta’s legal conduct.
Meta declined to comment directly on Wynn-William’s Hay appearance. He previously described Careless People as “a mix of outdated and previously reported allegations about the company and false accusations about our executives.”
