A former Meta director claims that CEO Mark Zuckerberg worked closely with Beijing to gain access to China, including considering censorship and data sharing with the government. Sarah Wynn-Williams, who served as global public policy director at Facebook, alleges that Zuckerberg’s ambitions for China were driven by a desire to “connect the world” and create an open society.
According to Williams, Zuckerberg considered hiding viral posts until approved by Chinese officials and shared user data with China. The company also developed a censorship system in 2015, which included a failsafe to shut down the site during times of social unrest. Meta executives allegedly evaded direct answers about their China-related business strategies, providing misleading information to investors and regulators.
The claims were made public by Williams ahead of her upcoming book about her time at Meta, and she has filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A Meta spokesperson dismissed the allegations, stating that the company never pursued plans for operating in China. However, Zuckerberg’s past statements suggest a strong interest in entering the Chinese market, citing a desire to “connect the world” and create an open society.
China remains the largest online market in the world, with over 1 billion internet users, offering massive ad revenue potential. Homegrown alternatives to global social media platforms have become increasingly popular, making it difficult for foreign sites like Meta to operate in the country without censorship.
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/03/11/sarah-wynn-williams-facebook-meta-mark-zuckerberg-china