New Delhi: Recent revelations detailed in Careless People: SK by Sarah Wynn-Williams have shed light on the Facebook’s controversial Free Basics programme in India and shown that the social media giant was closely aligned with the Modi government all through, raising serious concerns about the relationship between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and the US-based corporation. The book provides a behind-the-scenes account of Facebook’s aggressive lobbying efforts and its collaboration with Indian officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, to push Free Basics – a programme criticised for violating net neutrality.
Wynn-Williams was head of global affairs/ public policy for Facebook between 2011 and 2018. Her account highlights how these efforts were designed to bypass public dissent and regulatory scrutiny. Wynn-Williams’ revelations paint a picture of manipulation, corporate overreach and political complicity. Meta, as Facebook is now known, has called the book “a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives”.
Careless People: The explosive memoir that Meta doesn’t want you to read, Sarah Wynn-Williams, Macmillan, 2025.
Facebook’s campaign to promote Free Basics in India was nothing short of a corporate blitzkrieg. The book describes how Facebook established a “war room” specifically for India, investing tens of millions of dollars in advertising campaigns across TV, newspapers, cinemas, radio and billboards. This strategy also included dark posts – targeted advertisements visible only to specific users – and SMS campaigns designed to “galvanise actual (or at least the appearance of) public support”.
According to Wynn-Williams, Indian Facebook users were bombarded with pop-ups urging them to email the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in support of Free Basics. The message warned: “Unless you take action now, India could lose free access to basic internet. Tell the TRAI you support Free Basics and digital equality in India”. The platform even designed the campaign so that clicking the button would notify a user’s entire friend list that they had submitted a letter to the regulator, creating viral pressure.
The company went as far as organising protests – or even “riots”, as some marketing team members joked – in support of Free Basics. These efforts were part of an “India Action Plan,” which aimed to create the illusion of widespread public approval. Wynn-Williams writes: “When I ask that team how they managed to get people there, why on earth Indians would feel so strongly about a platform, they don’t” – highlighting the artificial nature of the campaign.
The book also reveals how deeply intertwined Facebook was with Indian political leadership during this period. Sheryl Sandberg reassured Facebook executives by stating: “Our policy team is directly engaged with the government, include [sic] Prime Minister Modi’s office.” This close relationship was seen as crucial for advancing Free Basics, but it also posed significant risks. As Wynn-Williams notes: “If we lose this in India it will send all the wrong signals in Latin America.”
Further, responding to public outrage on free basics, Sandberg mentions “deep senior relationships in the government”. She is quoted as saying: “We’re lucky this is happening in a place where we have very deep senior relationships in the government.”
Facebook’s reliance on its connections with the Modi government highlights a troubling pattern: leveraging political influence to bypass public dissent and regulatory hurdles. Such alliances undermine democratic processes and favour corporate interests over citizens’ rights.
However, despite Facebook claiming nearly 17 million emails had been sent to TRAI by January 7, 2016, the regulator announced it had received only 1.4 million submissions. A technical glitch reportedly prevented the emails from being delivered. This failure led to panic within Facebook’s headquarters, where leaders held crisis meetings amid fears of losing their foothold in India.
Despite Facebook’s efforts, TRAI ultimately banned Free Basics on February 8, 2016, issuing a blanket prohibition on zero-rating practices. The regulator accused Facebook of exploiting public consultation as a “gatekeeper,” reducing it to a farce by flooding TRAI with pre-formatted responses. Wynn-Williams describes TRAI’s stance as firm: “Why should they accept them as actual public comment?”
The decision marked a significant victory for net neutrality advocates but exposed the lengths to which Facebook was willing to go – and the complicity of political actors – in its pursuit of market dominance.
The collaboration between Facebook and the Modi government represents a troubling intersection of corporate power and political influence. By aligning itself with political leadership and deploying manipulative tactics, Facebook set a dangerous precedent for how global tech giants can influence policymaking in India and other countries of the Global South.
As India continues to grapple with even bigger issues of digital access and regulation, and the stranglehold of big-tech on the Trump presidency, this episode serves as a cautionary tale about the need for transparency and ethical governance in both corporate and political spheres.
Wynn-Williams also reveals the details of the inaction by the company and its bosses even when a genocide occurred in Myanmar following a flood of false anti-Muslim stories posted on Facebook.
