Careless People: Notes from the Heart of a Digital Empire

Careless People is a memoir by Sarah Wynn‑Williams, drawing on her inside experience at Facebook (now Meta) from 2011 to 2017 as Global Director of Public Policy. The book offers a first-person narrative exploring the rise of one of the most powerful tech companies in human history—often exposing a stark contrast between its lofty ideals and its behind‑the‑scenes operations.

• The title alludes to a line from The Great Gatsby: “They were careless people… they let other people clean up the mess they made.” Wynn‑Williams uses it metaphorically to critique the corporate recklessness and moral cost of Facebook’s global expansion. 

• Through detailed accounts, the memoir exposes ethical lapses and harmful practices, from internal power plays and sexual harassment allegations to decisions that allowed hate speech to fuel genocide in Myanmar and enabled potential censorship in China. 

• Wynn‑Williams reflects on disillusionment—having initially believed in the transformative potential of Facebook, she ultimately confronts how greed, privilege, and ideological detachment shaped the company and its leadership.