Additional Coverage:
- Whistleblower tells Senate committee that Meta undermined US national security to cozy up to China (foxbusiness.com)
A former Facebook executive dropped a bombshell on Capitol Hill Wednesday, accusing Mark Zuckerberg and other Meta leaders of misleading Congress and secretly aiding China’s AI development to gain access to the lucrative Chinese market.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, Sarah Wynn-Williams, author of the explosive memoir “Careless People,” claimed she witnessed Zuckerberg and other executives repeatedly compromise U.S. national security and American values during her seven-year tenure as Director of Global Public Policy, starting in 2011. Wynn-Williams alleges Meta’s actions were motivated by a desire to cultivate favor with Beijing and establish an $18 billion business within China.
A key allegation centers around Meta’s alleged assistance in developing advanced AI technology, potentially giving Chinese companies a competitive edge over American counterparts. Wynn-Williams’s opening statement declared, “We are engaged in a high-stakes AI arms race against China, and during my time at Meta, company executives lied about what they were doing with the Chinese Communist Party to employees, shareholders, Congress, and the American public.”
Despite alleged attempts by Meta to discredit her and suppress her story, Wynn-Williams’ book has become an Amazon top-10 best-seller. Meta has vehemently denied the accusations, calling Wynn-Williams’ testimony “divorced from reality and riddled with false claims,” and stating they do not currently operate in China. The company acknowledged Zuckerberg’s public statements about their interest in the Chinese market over a decade ago, emphasizing those details were widely reported.
Among Wynn-Williams’s claims: Meta’s AI model significantly contributed to Chinese AI advancements, including technologies like DeepSeek, and Meta deleted the account of a prominent U.S.-based Chinese dissident, billionaire Guo Wengui, under pressure from Beijing. Meta maintains the account was removed for violating rules regarding sharing sensitive personal information.
Wynn-Williams didn’t mince words, stating, “The greatest trick Mark Zuckerberg ever pulled was wrapping the American flag around himself and calling himself a patriot and saying he didn’t offer services in China while he spent the last decade building an $18 billion business there.” She asserts that Meta began briefing the Chinese Communist Party on critical emerging technologies, including AI, as early as 2015.
Wynn-Williams also depicted Zuckerberg as a chameleon-like figure, claiming he sought to ingratiate himself with Chinese officials, even learning Mandarin and engaging in censorship. She contrasted this with his efforts to build relationships with the Trump administration following the 2016 election, describing Zuckerberg as someone who adopts “different costumes” to gain proximity to power.
This explosive testimony comes just days before Meta is scheduled to face trial for alleged antitrust violations.