How a 'low-ranking' Indian official outsmarted tech giant Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook team with just a click

A "low-ranking official" at India's telecom regulator outmaneuvered Meta (then Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his team with a single click, according to claims in a new memoir by former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams. The incident allegedly took place in 2016 when Facebook was campaigning to save its Free Basics program, which faced scrutiny for potentially violating net neutrality principles.

Facebook’s Mass Email Campaign Backfires

"Mark and some of the brightest tech minds in the world devoted months to this [outreach strategy], and some low-ranking official in India outfoxed them simply by clicking an opt-out box," Wynn-Williams writes in her book Careless People, which Meta is attempting to block from publication.

The memoir details how Facebook used its technological and political influence to sway public opinion about Free Basics. When the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) opened public consultations on whether such programs should be banned, Facebook allegedly launched an extensive pressure campaign.

"Our policy team is directly engaged with the government, including Prime Minister Modi's office," Wynn-Williams quotes then-COO Sheryl Sandberg as writing in an internal email. "We're lucky this is happening in a place where we have very deep senior relationships in the government, but it's still going to be hard."

Facebook’s Tactics in India

The book claims Facebook sought to create "the appearance of public support" through automated emails. The company allegedly used a "megaphone that Mark wouldn't let Sheryl use for [promoting] organ donation" to push Indian users into sending nearly 16 million supportive emails to TRAI.

However, Facebook’s efforts were neutralized when TRAI stopped counting these emails. "Someone at TRAI—whoever controlled the email address for the public comments—simply opted out of all emails from Facebook," writes Wynn-Williams.

The memoir also alleges that Facebook hired an "ex-police captain" who was prepared to "go to jail in a clash between Facebook and the Indian government" if company executives faced legal action.

Meta’s Response and Book’s Availability in India

Meta has dismissed the book’s claims, calling them "out-of-date and previously reported" and asserting that its allegations about executives are false. A spokesperson told The Hindu that "Eight years ago, Sarah Wynn-Williams was fired for poor performance and toxic behaviour," and claimed she "has been paid by anti-Facebook activists."

Despite Meta's efforts to block the book’s publication and promotion in the US, Careless People remains available for purchase in India. The company has not directly challenged the claims regarding its operations in India.

Facebook’s Free Basics program was ultimately banned in India for violating net neutrality principles, marking a significant regulatory defeat for Zuckerberg’s global expansion strategy.