Earlier quoted context omitted.
That should be illegal, too. Or the permissible scope of such an agreement heavily limited.
“Sign this or starve” isn’t much of a stretch when you think about it
As if Meta employees live on the cusp of starving.
Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
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Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#42My understanding is that as part of a severance package she received in 2017 she agreed to some kind of "non-disparagement" clause. She then went on to write a book disparaging the company. The arbitrator didn't rule on the disparagement itself or if anything was true or false. Only ruled that she had to abide by the contract she signed. It sounds like an interesting book, and I'll add it to the list. But it also sou…
These tools, quite frankly, are simply mechanisms for the already rich and powerful to cement their position and sweep any misdeeds under the rug.
While I agree that you are technically correct, I also think we will look back on this period with disgust just as we did when we considered women unworthy of franchise.
Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#43[flagged]
YC is run by these kinds of careless people, so in a literal sense it probably isn't allowed, but we should say it anyway:
FUCK META
Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#44Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
“Sign this or starve” isn’t much of a stretch when you think about it
As if Meta employees live on the cusp of starving.
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/12/854998616/in-settlement-faceb...
> Some of the content moderators were earning $28,800 a year, the technology news site The Verge found last year.
In this particular case, the legal costs are probably pretty ruinous.
Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#46Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
Free speech on one hand, legal system capture on the other.
There's (perhaps unfortunately) nothing stopping you from signing away your freedom of speech.
I understand freedom of speech and I understand she's free to speak but there may be consequences. I understand that there are huge complexities in the legal system. I understand you can enter into agreements (part of your speech) that effectively gives away your speech. But if you step back and look at this situation, it's just fucked up that a corporation can do this to you. If freedom of speech is supposed to be inalienable, these types of agreements should not be legal.
disclaimer: She lives in the UK and I'm speaking from a US perspective.
Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#48Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#49A good reminder not to sign contracts with non-disparagement clauses, if you can help it. Seems like good territory for California to ban like they did with non-competes. At the very least they should be restricted from inclusion in severance agreements - at that point the company already has you over a barrel.
I mean, a reasonable non-disparagement clause for your current employees makes sense. You don't want your employees actively undermining the company in public. If they don't believe in what you're doing, they should be able to quit and say whatever they want. It should end immediately when your employment ends. It should be illegal to make it compulsary for severance packages, as many companies do. And there need to…
What's the need for a non-disparagement clause then? If they're a current employee, you have their continued employment as leverage.
Re: Author of "Careless People" banned from saying anything negative about Meta
#50It's great that she spoke out, but she was complicit in all of this too. https://restofworld.org/2025/careless-people-book-review-fac...
The theme of the book is "power corrupts." Wynn-Williams is not an exception. Sometimes she acknowledges it, sometimes she glosses over it, but the way the job compromised her own morality is one of the most fascinating parts of the book.
I am not sure I would have done better in her place. When it's your livelihood (or your friends,) it's so much easier to just fall in line. If she'd gotten along personally with the other execs, the book wouldn't even exist.