Washington, D.C. — In a shocking revelation during a U.S. Senate hearing, former Meta executive Sarah Wynn-Williams accused the tech giant and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of undermining U.S. national security by allegedly collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party.
Wynn-Williams, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, stated that Meta executives made decisions that enabled China to access American user data, and even built custom censorship tools to help the Chinese government suppress dissenting voices.
“I saw Meta executives repeatedly undermine U.S. national security and betray American values,” she said in her opening remarks.
“Hand in Glove with Beijing”
The whistleblower claimed that Zuckerberg publicly denied Meta’s involvement in China, while secretly growing an $18 billion business there.
“The greatest trick Mark Zuckerberg ever pulled was wrapping the American flag around himself and saying he didn’t offer services in China,” Wynn-Williams said, “while spending the last decade building Meta’s presence there.”
She further alleged that Meta worked “hand in glove with Beijing,” cooperating on content moderation aligned with Chinese censorship demands.
Meta Denies Allegations
Meta has strongly denied the claims. A company spokesperson called the testimony “divorced from reality and riddled with false claims.” Meta maintains that it does not operate any services in China and clarified that Zuckerberg has only expressed interest in entering the market.
The company also responded to Wynn-Williams’ claim of being threatened with $50,000 in punitive damages for speaking out, explaining that the amount is tied to violations of her separation agreement, not her Congressional testimony.
AI Involvement Raises Eyebrows
Wynn-Williams also warned that Meta’s AI model Llama was allegedly used by Chinese AI firm DeepSeek, stirring fresh concerns over U.S. tech being repurposed in China’s AI race.
Meta responded that the version referenced is outdated and that China is already investing over $1 trillion in advancing its own AI capabilities.
Backdrop of Rising US-China Tensions
These revelations come at a time of increasing U.S.-China tensions over technology, trade, and security. With actions like new tariffs on Chinese goods and attempts to force a TikTok sale, the U.S. is intensifying its scrutiny of tech giants and their foreign entanglements.
The House Select Committee on Strategic Competition is also investigating how Chinese influence may be affecting American interests.
