BFL17 - Sarah Wynn Williams - Reclaiming the Internet

Sarah Wynn-William's Careless People was one of the non-fiction sensations of 2025. A hugely praised - and award winning - bestselling account of Sarah's time as Global Policy Director at Facebook, Meta secured a ruling against Sarah on publication day preventing her from promoting the book, or indeed saying anything critical or ‘otherwise detrimental’ about Meta.

Due to these ongoing legal restrictions, Sarah is barred from speaking about her book or from saying anything negative about her former employer. Instead, Sarah will join us to share her thoughts and invite engagement on a wider, more urgent conversation: how did we lose control of the Internet, and is it possible to reclaim it? How can we protect children’s online safety in the age of AI? From the decay of the online world to the new geopolitics of AI, as power shifts from governments to platforms, this is a rare chance to hear from a woman who has stood at the nexus of global diplomacy and big-tech power—and lived to share the tale at great personal cost.

Due to the ongoing legal restrictions, Sarah is not able to sign copies of Careless People.

Sarah Wynn-Williams is a former New Zealand diplomat and international lawyer. She joined Facebook after pitching a job and worked there for many years, ultimately becoming director of global public policy. After leaving the company, she has continued to work on tech policy, including artificial intelligence.

 In conversation with Ali Vowles.