Mark Zuckerberg has invested more than ten years attempting to introduce Facebook to China, where the service is currently prohibited. A recent whistleblower report indicates that Meta contemplated contentious strategies to achieve this objective, including the development of censorship mechanisms and the potential sharing of user information with the Chinese authorities.
The whistleblower, Sarah Wynn-Williams, filed a 78-page complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As reported by *The Washington Post*, which exclusively acquired the document, Facebook allegedly investigated granting China’s ruling party the power to censor material and stifle dissent. Furthermore, the document asserts that Meta was receptive to the idea of sharing user information with Chinese officials.
Wynn-Williams’ grievance claims that in 2015, Facebook designed a censorship mechanism tailored for China, enabling officials to eliminate content or even suspend the platform during times of “social unrest.” Wynn-Williams, who was part of Meta’s China policy team before her dismissal in 2017, reportedly included internal corporate documents in her submission.
Moreover, the report suggests that Facebook encountered pressure to keep Chinese users’ data stored within China, which might have facilitated government access to personal data. The company also allegedly considered relaxing privacy safeguards for users in Hong Kong to curry favor with the Chinese regime.
Several aspects of this information were previously known. In 2015, anonymous insiders disclosed details regarding Facebook’s China-centric censorship tool, prompting the company to confront the matter. At that point, Meta—formerly known as Facebook—acknowledged the existence of the tool but asserted it had never been utilized. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg informed investors that the firm continued to analyze the Chinese market. Ultimately, Facebook halted its attempts to penetrate the Chinese market in 2019.
While the disclosure about potential data-sharing with China is novel, it is not wholly unexpected. Meta has a track record of mismanaging user data, particularly highlighted during the *Cambridge Analytica* incident. The firm has also been found secretly tracking user interactions on other platforms like Snapchat, Amazon, and YouTube to gather insights into user behavior.
On a positive note, Meta is no longer seeking to engage in data-sharing with China. According to *The Washington Post*, Zuckerberg has now redirected his attention toward exploiting a possible TikTok ban. Should the China-based social media application fail to find a buyer, it could face a ban in the U.S. as soon as next month. Former President Donald Trump has confirmed that negotiations concerning TikTok’s sale are still in progress.