TLDR

Former Meta executive Sarah Wynn-Williams plans to testify before Congress that Meta threatened US interests while aiding China
Wynn-Williams alleges Meta briefed the Chinese Communist Party on emerging technologies, including AI, starting in 2015
She claims there’s a “straight line” from these briefings to China’s current use of Meta’s AI tools for military capabilities
Meta denies these allegations, calling her testimony “divorced from reality and riddled with false claims”
Despite being banned in China, Meta reportedly earns revenue from Chinese advertisers, making it Meta’s second-biggest market

Sarah Wynn-Williams, who served as director of global public policy at Meta (formerly Facebook) from 2011 to 2017, is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism about her experiences at the tech giant.

Her testimony will focus on accusations that Meta executives undermined US national security by helping China advance in what she calls the “artificial intelligence arms race.”

In prepared remarks obtained by news outlets, Wynn-Williams claims that Meta began briefing the Chinese Communist Party as early as 2015. These briefings allegedly focused on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

“The explicit goal being to help China outcompete American companies,” Wynn-Williams states in her draft testimony. She suggests there is a “straight line” connecting these briefings to recent reports that China is developing AI models for military use based on Meta’s technology.

Meta strongly disputes these allegations. Company spokesperson Andy Stone stated that her testimony is “divorced from reality and riddled with false claims.”

Secret China Operations

Wynn-Williams alleges that Meta established a secret relationship with China under a program called “Project Aldrin.” This initiative was reportedly restricted to need-to-know staff members.

According to her draft testimony, the company constructed a “physical pipeline” connecting the United States and China. She claims Meta executives ignored warnings that this could provide backdoor access to the Chinese Communist Party.

“Meta executives ignored warnings that this would provide backdoor access to the Chinese Communist Party, allowing them to intercept the personal data and private messages of American citizens,”

she states. She adds that Congressional intervention prevented China from gaining access to US user data through this pipeline.

Wynn-Williams also claims that Meta provided the Chinese government with access to user data, including that of Americans.

“I watched as executives decided to provide the Chinese Communist Party with access to Meta user data — including that of Americans,” her testimony reads.

Business Despite Ban

Facebook itself has never officially launched in China. The social media platform remains banned in the country over censorship issues.

However, Wynn-Williams plans to highlight that Meta continues to do business with China. She points to corporate filings that reference revenue Meta receives from Chinese advertisers.

Her draft testimony claims China is now Meta’s second biggest market based on SEC filings from last year. She also alleges that Meta’s AI model, Llama, has “contributed significantly to Chinese advances in AI technologies.”

Meta’s spokesperson counters these claims, stating:

“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.”

Legal Battles and Whistleblowing

Wynn-Williams recently published a memoir titled “Careless People” about her experiences at Facebook. The book quickly rose to bestseller status despite legal challenges from Meta.

The company successfully obtained an emergency arbitration decision that temporarily stopped Wynn-Williams and her publisher from promoting the memoir or making disparaging statements against her former employer. Meta is reportedly seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in their case against her.

“This gag order was sought by a company whose CEO claims to be a champion of free speech,” Wynn-Williams states in her draft testimony. “The American people deserve to know the truth.”

In addition to writing her memoir, Wynn-Williams filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission in March. She has also filed complaints with the Department of Justice.

The testimony has drawn interest from lawmakers, including Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri who leads the Senate Judiciary subcommittee. Hawley joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in early April to investigate Wynn-Williams’ claims.

Meta maintains that Wynn-Williams was fired eight years ago for poor performance, while representatives for Wynn-Williams have declined to comment on this claim.

The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, where Wynn-Williams will face questions from committee members about her allegations against one of the world’s largest technology companies.

The post Meta Whistleblower Claims Company Aided China’s AI Advancements appeared first on CoinCentral.

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Filed under: News - @ April 9, 2025 8:28 am