A former Facebook employee, Sarah Wynn-Williams, is set to testify before Congress today, alleging that Meta executives repeatedly sought to undermine U.S. national security and betray American values in secret efforts to win favor with Beijing and build an $18 billion business in China. This testimony promises to be explosive, potentially reigniting debates about the relationship between big tech and foreign governments. Wynn-Williams, who served as Facebook's Director of Global Public Policy from 2011 to 2017, accuses Meta of working “hand in glove” with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to her prepared remarks, this partnership allegedly included constructing and testing custom-built censorship tools designed to silence critics, as well as providing the CCP with access to Meta user data, including that of Americans. These are serious accusations that could have significant repercussions for Meta. The timing of this testimony is particularly noteworthy. Mark Zuckerberg has recently attempted to shift his company further to the right, seemingly in an effort to repair damage from the Cambridge Analytica scandal and address concerns about left-wing bias on social media. Wynn-Williams' allegations could frustrate Republican lawmakers who may have been warming up to Meta, presenting a new challenge for the company's public image and political standing. Wynn-Williams claims that as early as 2014, Meta began offering products and services in China. By 2015, they were allegedly briefing the CCP on critical emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, with the explicit goal of helping China outcompete American companies. She draws a direct line from these briefings to recent revelations that China is developing AI models for military use, relying on Meta’s Llama model. While Meta's spokesperson, Andy Stone, has dismissed these allegations as “irrelevant,” the potential implications are hard to ignore. According to Wynn-Williams, Meta’s internal documents describe their sales pitch to China as “help[ing] China increase global influence and promote the China Dream.” She insists that Meta cannot dispute these facts, claiming to possess the documents to prove her case. She further alleges that Meta has recently lied about not operating services in China, adding another layer of complexity to the situation. Meta, in its defense, claims that Wynn-Williams' book makes “false accusations” and that her allegations are “out-of-date and previously reported.” Mark Zuckerberg stated in 2019 that Facebook never reached an agreement with China to operate there. Stone maintains that Wynn-Williams’ testimony is “divorced from reality and riddled with false claims.” The company insists it does not currently operate its services in China. Despite an arbitrator's order to cease promoting her book and retract claims disparaging to Meta, Wynn-Williams is proceeding with her testimony. She explains that “the American people deserve to know the truth,” and that Meta’s gag order prohibits her from speaking with Members of Congress. Stone claims that Meta only objects to her giving media interviews and that she is not barred from testifying before Congress. Wynn-Williams warns that Meta's “secret mission” to build “a physical pipeline connecting the United States and China” was only thwarted by congressional intervention. Her testimony provides Congress with an opportunity to question her about details revealed in her book, which has been praised as the definitive account of Facebook's inner workings. The Senate subcommittee chair, Josh Hawley, remains critical of big tech companies like Meta, accusing them of wielding “monopolistic power” to control the news and personal data. Ultimately, Wynn-Williams argues that “Meta has been willing to compromise its values, sacrifice the security of its users, and undermine American interests to build its China business.” Her testimony aims to hold Meta accountable for its actions, potentially leading to further scrutiny and regulation of the company's international operations. The outcome of this hearing could significantly impact Meta's future and its relationship with both the U.S. government and the global community.
