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Senator Josh Hawley has officially demanded that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testify before Congress following whistleblower allegations that the tech giant secretly worked on various issues with the Chinese Communist Party.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, yesterday Sarah Wynn-Williams, the former director of global public policy at Facebook, testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. During her testimony, she claimed that Meta collaborated closely with the Chinese Communist Party, providing them with custom-built censorship tools and access to sensitive user data, including information belonging to Americans. Wynn-Williams alleged that Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, actively misled employees, shareholders, and the US government about their dealings with China, all in an effort to gain market access and build an $18 billion business in the region. She further testified that Meta’s AI model, Llama, was used to advance Chinese technology, including military applications, and warned that without congressional intervention, the CCP would have had direct access to American user data through a “physical pipeline” developed by the company.
During the hearing, Senator Josh Hawley claimed that Meta had aggressively attempted to silence Sarah Wynn-Williams through legal intimidation and financial threats. He stated that the company threatened her with $50,000 in punitive damages each time she publicly mentioned Facebook—even if her statements were true—citing a non-disparagement clause in her severance agreement. Despite these threats and what she described as a “legal gag order” that even included speaking to lawmakers, Wynn-Williams said she came forward at considerable personal risk because Congress has the power to hold Meta accountable.
What’s going on now: In a notable development following yesterday’s hearing, Senator Hawley sent a formal letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, demanding that he appear before his committee to address the serious allegations raised by the whistleblower. In the letter, Hawley said that Meta’s alleged collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party could pose a direct threat to US national security. He wrote, “The American people deserve to know the truth about your company. The public deserves to hear your response to these serious allegations, particularly since they pertain to American national security.”
Hawley specifically referenced Wynn-Williams’ testimony, which accused Meta of betraying American values and lying to Congress, shareholders, and the public about its ties to China. He called on Zuckerberg to publicly respond to the whistleblower’s claims, particularly those concerning censorship tools, data sharing, and Meta’s role in advancing Chinese AI capabilities.
Meta’s view: Meta has denied all allegations brought forward by Sarah Wynn-Williams, dismissing her testimony as “divorced from reality and riddled with false claims.” In response to the accusations of collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party, a Meta spokesman noted that the company does not operate in China.
