Meta Accused of Censorship and Data Sharing with China in SEC Complaint by Sarah Wynn-Williams

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Updated Mar 11, 2025, 08:26 PM

Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook, is facing allegations from a whistleblower, Sarah Wynn-Williams, who claims the company considered sharing user data with China and developed a censorship system in an attempt to enter the Chinese market. Wynn-Williams, a former global public policy director at Meta, detailed these allegations in a 78-page complaint filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The whistleblower's complaint alleges that Meta proposed a censorship framework in 2015 under the code-name 'Project Aldrin', which included appointing a 'chief editor' to oversee content and potentially shutting down the platform during periods of social unrest. The plan also involved allowing the Chinese government access to user data, including that of Hong Kong users, as part of negotiations to operate in China. Meta also considered working with Hony Capital, a Chinese private-equity firm, to review content and targeted the account of Chinese dissident Guo Wengui in 2017. Meta has responded to these allegations, stating that its interest in the Chinese market was well-known and that the company ultimately decided against entering the market. The company dismissed Wynn-Williams in 2017, citing poor performance and toxic behavior. Meta also noted that it has never offered tools to target people based on their emotional state and emphasized its commitment to user privacy and transparency in advertising. Additionally, Meta has been accused of funding the non-profit American Edge to campaign against China and TikTok, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggesting that a TikTok ban could benefit Meta.

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#Facebook #China #Chinese #Meta #SEC #Project Aldrin #Hong Kong #Hony Capital #Guo Wengui #American Edge #TikTok #Mark Zuckerberg

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Sources

washingtonpost.com(5)bbc.com(3)diepresse.com(2)lefigaro.fr(2)

TIMES NOW

@TimesNow

Meta Apps Unsafe? Whistleblower Accuses Mark Zuckerberg Of Putting Your Data At Risk #MarkZuckerberg #Meta https://t.co/Fn0exPfRms https://t.co/bcPlYzhigc

Melissa Chen

@MsMelChen

Remember when Zuck gave that speech saying that he “created Facebook to champion free speech?” Of course it’s hard to be outraged that Meta developed a censorship system to bring Facebook to China when it was censoring people left and right in the US. Not to mention how much… https://t.co/dNZ475Px1B