Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Facebook by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Book review
So. I just finished this book and now I need to lie down, scream into a pillow, and maybe delete every app on my phone while I still have a shred of dignity left.
Let me start by saying this: I don’t usually rate memoirs. But this one? Five stars. Not just because it’s smart, brave, and incredibly well told—but because Meta is actively trying to erase it from existence. Which makes me want to shove this book into everyone’s hands like a panicked librarian in a dystopian YA novel yelling “This is the truth!”
Sarah Wynn-Williams, bless her, starts out at Facebook as a true believer. She thought she was joining a company that wanted to connect the world. Instead, she joined a company that connected the world just long enough to set it on fire, hand it over to authoritarian regimes, and then cash out in crypto.
Her stories are WILD. We’re talking:
– Jet-setting meetings with dictators.
– Executives who mistake “ethics” for a startup.
– Zuckerberg shrugging off genocide with the emotional range of a damp sponge.
– Sheryl Sandberg handing out Lean In™ pep talks while the building is literally burning.
And that’s before we get to the Myanmar genocide, the 2016 U.S. election, the hate speech amplification machine, and oh yes—the casual empowerment of white nationalism via algorithm. You know, just another day in the office.
Sarah tried to fight it. She really did. She pushed for integrity, she raised concerns, she believed she could fix things from the inside. Facebook responded with… silence, gaslighting, and eventually, an elegant little shove out the back door. Bye Sarah. Thanks for playing.
Meta, of course, would love for you to ignore this book. Which is exactly why you should read it. Out loud. On the subway. While making dramatic eye contact with anyone using Instagram.
Because honestly? Careless People isn’t just a memoir. It’s a warning label. A confessional. A horror-comedy where the monsters wear Allbirds and cite “scale” as a reason for letting fascism run wild.
And in case you’re still wondering: yes, Mark Zuckerberg really does come off like a Bond villain, but with the charisma of cold oatmeal. He once flirted with running for president. And now he’s furious this book even exists. Which tells you everything you need to know.
Read this book. Boost this book. If you’ve ever clicked “like” without thinking—this one’s for you.