Filing documents over a year of harassment by Meta lawyers, including photographing her without her knowledge and tracking her around the country

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Tech Oversight Project spotlighted reporting from the Wall Street Journal on Sarah Wynn-Williams’s bombshell lawsuit against Meta alleging a year of harassment, stalking, and privacy violations in the Big Tech giant’s campaign to silence the author. Wynn-Williams, Meta whistleblower and author of the #1 New York Time bestseller memoir Careless People, filed a complaint in U.S. court against Meta to strike the gag order that she has been under since she published her book last year. Her complaint details many shocking instances of Meta’s aggressive surveillance and lawfare.

Despite complying with Meta’s gag order, Sarah has been subject to escalating and ever-shifting constraints put upon her by Meta and its army of lawyers, which has sought $50,000 every time it deems she says something “disparaging, critical, or otherwise detrimental” about Meta, and for every book sold. Meta has barred her from speaking with Congressional Representatives and their aides, attacked  her character in the press knowing she cannot respond, implied they would sanction her for testifying truthfully before Congress, and – shockingly – tracked and photographed her without her knowledge.

Examples of aggressive tactics by Meta:

• Meta compiled photographic and written records of Sarah’s movements, a fact which she did not realize until Meta presented them as evidence in a Sanctions Motion against her;
• Meta’s representatives physically attended Sarah’s speaking events for the purpose of taking photographs;
• Meta followed Sarah to multiple locations where she was due to appear for reasons unrelated to her book, including Oxford, England, and a small town in Wales;
• Meta sought an order requiring Sarah to disclose to Meta in advance all of her planned public appearances;
• Meta has targeted her family personally;
• Meta sought sanctions against Sarah merely for appearing silently onstage next to an academic and journalist who Meta deemed to be too “critical” of the company;
• Meta’s order extends to Sarah’s attorneys – they are not permitted to correct the record or say anything critical of Meta;
• Meta is seeking untold millions through demanding $50,000 per purported violation of Sarah’s non-disparagement agreement including $50 000 for each book sold, plus compensatory and punitive damages, in addition to sanctions of $1500 per public appearance, and disgorgement from sales of her book; financially ruinous for Sarah and her family;
• All the while, Meta has attacked Sarah’s character, work performance, and truthfulness in the press, knowing she cannot respond because of the gag order. 

“Meta has once again proven its absolute depravity with the lengths it will go to silence a whistleblower for telling the truth. Sarah Wynn-Williams has shown extraordinary courage in standing up to one of the largest and most powerful companies in the history of the world, but rather than being celebrated for her bravery, Sarah has been forced to live under the shadow of surveillance and oppression,” said Sacha Haworth, Executive Director of The Tech Oversight Project.

“Much of the evidence Sarah brought to light was reconfirmed in Meta’s own words when their internal documents were made public for the first time when a judge and jury found the company liable for harming and addicting kids to their products. But instead of dropping the gag order, Meta has doubled down.

“For years, Meta concealed their deep ties to China, years of research proving their platforms were addicting and harming minors, and a deadly record of human rights violations. It speaks volumes that Meta would spend its vast resources and effort attacking a whistleblower rather than have to once again be held accountable before Congress and the public. Meta is a company that will never change its ways unless forced to by an act of law.”

Additional Background:

Sarah Wynn-Williams is the former Director of Global Public Policy at Facebook, now Meta. Meta pursued an aggressive gag order in order to muzzle Wynn-Williams as soon as her book was published. 

Sarah’s congressional testimony in April 2025 sparked several congressional investigations into wrongdoing at Meta, including how they worked “hand in glove” with the Chinese Communist Party and targeted advertisements to children when they were feeling lonely or vulnerable. Senators sent multiple letters to Mark Zuckerberg concerning efforts to silence whistleblowers, (Apr. 14, 2025); its retaliation against Sarah for reporting Joel Kaplan’s sexual misconduct, (Apr. 16, 2025 and May 13, 2025); its conduct in China, (Apr. 1, 2025); and its efforts to address online dangers to children and teenagers (Apr. 8, 2026 and Sep. 2, 2025).

Senator Josh Hawley called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress for selling “out our country’s security,” and Senator Grassley, the Chair, has announced a hearing with Big Tech CEOs compelled to testify, now scheduled for July.

Last month at a literary awards festival, Sarah Wynn-Williams accepted the “freedom to publish” prize on behalf of herself and the late Epstein victim Victoria Guiffre, who documented her abuse in her book Nobody’s Girl and died by suicide shortly before its publication. Sarah was not allowed to mention her book during her speech. At a subsequent literary festival, Sarah was forced to sit silent onstage.

Notably, Meta has not filed a defamation suit against Sarah Wynn-Williams for what she disclosed in her book, and has not denied any one specific claim.

The full Complaint against Meta can be found here and the Motion and Statement from Sarah Wynn-Williams can be found here.