Meta stops ex-director from promoting critical memoir

Meta has won an emergency ruling in the US to temporarily stop a former director of  Facebook from promoting or further distributing copies of her memoir.

The book, Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, who used to be the company's global public policy director, includes a series of critical claims about what she witnessed during her seven years working at Facebook.

Facebook's parent company, Meta, says the ruling - which orders her to stop promotions "to the extent within her control" - affirms that "the false and defamatory book should never have been published".

The UK publisher Macmillan says it is "committed to upholding freedom of speech" and Ms Wynn-Williams' "right to tell her story".

It told the BBC that she had been due to do "extensive media" in the UK and internationally and "has been prevented from doing so".

At a hearing on Wednesday at the American Arbitration Association - a neutral third party which resolves disputes out of court - Ms Wynn-Williams was told she must refrain from engaging in or "amplifying any further disparaging, crucial or otherwise detrimental comments".

All previous disparaging comments "to the extent within her control" must also be retracted, the ruling also said.

The book is former New Zealand diplomat Ms Wynn-Williams' account of joining Facebook in 2011 and watching it grow from a "front row seat".

Her allegations include that executives had worked "hand in glove" with the Chinese government on potential ways of allowing Beijing to censor and control content in exchange for access to the lucrative market.

Meta disputes the allegations contained in the book. Regarding China, it says it is "no secret we were once interested" in operating services there. "We ultimately opted not to go through with the ideas we'd explored."

Ms Wynn-Williams has also filed a whistleblower complaint with the US markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging Meta misled investors - which Meta also denies. The BBC has reviewed the complaint.

During the emergency hearing the arbitrator, Nicholas Gowen, found Meta had provided enough evidence that Ms Wynn-Williams had potentially violated her severance contract. She did not personally attend Thursday's hearing.

In his ruling, Mr Gowan said Meta would suffer "immediate and irreparable loss" in the absence of a temporary ruling in the case.

He did not order the book's publisher, Flatiron Books, or its parent company, Macmillan, to take any action.

The ruling will remain in effect unless it is modified or lifted following a full hearing.

Following the decision, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a post on X: "This ruling affirms that Sarah Wynn-Williams' false and defamatory book should never have been published."

Careless People was released in the US, where it is number six on the Amazon chart, on Tuesday. It was published in the UK on Thursday.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Macmillan said: "As publishers, we are committed to upholding freedom of speech and her right to tell her story. Due to legal process instituted by Meta, the author has been prevented from continuing to participate in the book's publicity."

Mexico's attorney general promises full investigation into mass grave

 

Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero speaks during a press conference at the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico, February 28, 2025. 

MEXICO CITY, March 11 (Reuters) - Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz pledged on Tuesday to conduct a full investigation into a mass grave recently found in western Jalisco state that is believed to be linked to the country's violent drug gangs.

The promise from Mexico's top prosecutor follows local media reports that a civilian activist group recently discovered the site in Teuchitlan, Jalisco, along with several ovens possibly used to cremate bodies.

White House claims Columbia is blocking hunt for "pro-Hamas" protesters

 Columbia University has not helped the Department of Homeland Security identify individuals the government claims engaged in "pro-Hamas activity," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Tuesday press briefing.

Why it matters: Columbia, which has already had $400 million in federal grants and contracts canceled over allegations of allowing antisemitism on campus, has said in statements it will continue to support its students and staff despite pressure from the Trump administration.

• Leavitt said she isn't sure how many additional arrests will come following the arrest of Columbia alumnus Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent participants of the university's pro-Palestinian encampment last spring.
• "I do know that DHS is actively working on it," Leavitt said.
• President Trump promised more arrests in a post to Truth Social on Monday.

Driving the news: The Trump administration launched an investigation into several prominent colleges such as Harvard and Yale over accusations of failing to protect Jewish students and staff on campus.

• In a Monday statement, Columbia rejected allegations that its leadership requested Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents on or near its campus.
• "We are deeply committed to freedom of speech as a fundamental value that we must uphold as a community — citizens and non-citizens alike," Columbia's interim president Katrina Armstrong wrote on Monday.
• Columbia did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Catch up quick: Khalil, a U.S. resident with a green card, was arrested by federal immigration authorities on Saturday, heightening concerns over free speech during the Trump administration.

• The White House justified revoking Khalil's green card by saying his involvement in protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians amounted to support for Hamas and ran afoul of Trump's executive order banning antisemitism.

• Green card holders typically must break the law to be deported.
• Leavitt on Tuesday cited a federal law that allows the Secretary of State to deport a green card holder whose presence or activities in the U.S. "would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences."

Context: The arrest of pro-Palestinian protesters last spring sparked a debate about the limits of free speech on Columbia's campus.

• The Biden administration defended students' right to peaceful protest but condemned the "chaos" that broke out on campuses.