Sheryl Sandberg has left Meta, but the company will keep paying for her personal security

Sheryl Sandberg officially stepped down from her post as Meta COO in August, but the company will continue to pay for her personal security into 2023, Reuters reports. The board, citing “continuing threats to her safety,” agreed to pay for security services from October 1st through June 30th, 2023, with protection available to Sandberg at her residences and while she is traveling. 

It is unclear what threats Sandberg has been receiving that would warrant the company paying for continuing protection after she has resigned. We have asked Meta for comment and will update this story if the company chooses to elaborate.

Sheryl Sandberg joined Meta in 2008, and her last official day as an employee was September 30th. Going forward, she will continue to serve on Meta’s board and receive compensation as a non-employee director. Although Sandberg apparently resigned of her own volition, her final chapter at the company was marred by personal scandal. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journalreported that Sandberg used company resources to help kill negative reporting about Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who she was said to be dating at the time. 

Two months later, the Journal also reported that Meta had launched an internal investigation into Sandberg’s use of company resources, and that the inquiry actually extended back “several years.” In addition to the allegations about protecting Kotick from negative press, Sandberg was also reportedly being investigated for possibly using company funds to pay for her 2022 wedding. Meta lawyers were also reportedly looking into whether and how Facebook staff helped Sandberg and her foundation, Lean In, promote her latest book, Option B.

Sandberg’s final years on the job were also marked by a series of company crises, including the 2019 Cambridge Analytica scandal; allegations of enabling genocide in Myanmar; shrinking revenue earlier this year; and a change last year in iOS’s approach to third-party app tracking that undercut the core of Meta’s business model. 

It is not unusual for Facebook to invest heavily on personal security for its top executives. In 2020, the company reportedly spent $23.4 million in 2020 to protect CEO Mark Zuckerberg. However, the board’s announcement on Friday comes days after Meta was reported to have suspended all hiring, with a warning of possible layoffs on the way, making for some potentially awkward optics. 

Amazon’s latest sale knocks up to 50 percent off Fire tablets

Amazon appears to be kicking off its fall Prime Day event a little early. Hot on the heels of announcing a new generation of gadgets, the company is holding a sale on Echo smart displays, Fire TV devices and, it seems, Fire tablets. Highlights include the Fire 10 HD, which is back down to $75, a price we last saw during Amazon’s Prime Day event in July. Meanwhile, the new Fire 7 tablet has been discounted to $45.

Buy Fire HD 10 at Amazon – $75Buy Fire 7 at Amazon – $45

While the Fire HD 10 is the older of the two devices, the deal on that tablet is still the highlight here. For the money, you get a 10.1-inch display with full HD resolution, an eight-core 2GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, 12 hours of rated battery life and up to 64GB of internal storage (expandable to as much a 1TB via a microSD card). 

As for the Fire 7, we need to caution you that it earned a lackluster score from us when we reviewed it last summer. Although we acknowledged the then-$60 tablet got some basics right, including battery life, USB-C charging and, well, the affordable price, we dinged it for its unimpressive display quality and sluggish performance. If we were to review it fresh today with a $45 list price, perhaps we’d be a little more generous in our rating.

It’s unclear when Amazon will refresh either its 10- or 7-inch tablet line. At its hardware launch last month, Amazon only mentioned a new $100 8-inch model, which promises 30 percent faster performance, slightly improved 13-hour battery life and a new Tap to Alexa feature that allows you to summon the voice assistant without speaking. 

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Amazon’s 2022 hardware event liveblog: Kindle Scribe, Halo Rise, Echo and Fire TV devices, and more

Amazon is holding its annual fall showcase of new devices on September 28 at 9AM PT/12PM ET and as usual for an Amazon event, we expect things to get a little chaotic. Amazon’s stream is not open to the public, or even to all members of the press. Meanwhile, and during the one-hour-or-so presentation, we expect the company to unleash a firehose of new products ahead of the holiday season, from Fire TV devices to Echo speakers and displays to who knows what else. (Remember that time Amazon surprised us with an Alexa-powered microwave?) 

Fortunately, Team Engadget are among the media outlets that can view the livestream, and we’ll be liveblogging everything that comes out of the event. Bookmark this page and tune in below to our liveblog, kicking off around the same time the event does, at noon ET on Wednesday.