- Sarah Wynn-Williams, former director of global public policy at Facebook, now Meta, testified that company executives undermined U.S. national security. She said they did it to gain favor with Beijing and expand business in China, including constructing censorship tools and silencing critics.
- Wynn-Williams claimed Meta worked with the Chinese Communist Party, deleting accounts at Beijing’s request and providing the CCP with user data, including that of Americans.
- Meta denied Wynn-Williams’ testimony, calling it false, while Sen. Josh Hawley revealed that Meta allegedly tried to prevent the Senate hearing from taking place.
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The former director of global public policy at Facebook, now Meta, testified at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, April 9, about the company’s foreign relations.
“I saw Meta executives repeatedly undermine U.S. national security and betray American values. They did these things in secret to win favor with Beijing and build an $18 billion business in China,” Sarah Wynn-Williams said.
How did Wynn-Williams say Meta compromised national security?
Wynn-Williams claimed during her 7 years of employment there, starting in 2011, she witnessed Meta executives lie about what they were doing with the Chinese Communist Party.
“Mark Zuckerberg pledged himself a free speech champion. Yet I witnessed Meta work hand in glove with the Chinese Communist Party to construct and test custom-built censorship tools that silenced and censored their critics,” Wynn-Williams said. “When Beijing demanded that Facebook delete the account of a prominent Chinese dissident living on American soil, they did it. And then lied to Congress when asked about the incident in a Senate hearing.”
Wynn-Williams also testified she witnessed Meta executives provide the Chinese Communist Party with user data, including data belonging to Americans.
How is Meta responding?
Meta responded to Wynn-Williams’ testimony after multiple news outlets obtained her planned opening statement Tuesday, April 8, ahead of Wednesday’s hearing.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone released a statement to NBC News.
“Sarah Wynn-Williams’ testimony is divorced from reality and riddled with false claims. While Mark Zuckerberg himself was public about our interest in offering our services in China and details were widely reported beginning over a decade ago, the fact is this: we do not operate our services in China today.”
Andy Stone, Meta spokesperson
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Crime and Counterterrorism Subcommittee said Meta tried to stop him from holding Wednesday’s hearing.
Meta has not responded to that claim.
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Author: Kalé Carey
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