Islamabad, April 03: A U.S. Senate investigative subcommittee has launched an inquiry into Meta Platforms’ past efforts to gain access to the Chinese market, demanding internal records from the company.
The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Senator Ron Johnson, along with Senator Richard Blumenthal and Senator Josh Hawley, has asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to provide documents related to allegations that the company developed censorship tools for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as part of its attempt to operate in China.
A letter obtained by media indicates that the senators expect Meta to submit these records by April 21.
The inquiry was triggered by claims in the book ‘Careless People’, written by former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams.
The book alleges that in 2014, Facebook devised a “three-year plan” to enter the Chinese market under the code name “Project Aldrin.” The subcommittee states that its review of internal documents supports these claims.
Meta Denial
Meta, however, has dismissed the allegations.
“This is all being pushed by an employee who was terminated eight years ago for poor performance. We do not operate in China today. While we once explored possibilities, we ultimately decided against them, which Mark Zuckerberg confirmed in 2019,” a company spokesperson said.
Blumenthal expressed deep concerns about the findings.
“Whistleblower documents reviewed by the Subcommittee provide a damning picture of a company willing to censor, deceive, and conceal to gain access to the Chinese market,” he stated.
Senators Seek Meta’s Records on China Ties
The Senate letter demands records related to Facebook and Meta’s partnerships in China, as well as details of apps the company attempted to launch in the region, including Colorful Balloons, Flash, Boomerang, Layout, Hyperlapse, and MSQRD.
It also requests documents referring to Project Aldrin, efforts to censor content at governmental requests, and information about the abandoned undersea telecommunications cable project between California and Hong Kong.
Whistleblower Faces Gag Order
Wynn-Williams, now a whistleblower, claims Meta is preventing her from discussing these allegations with lawmakers.
According to her, Meta has taken legal action to block her from speaking publicly about its China-related activities and other matters covered in her book.
On the day Careless People was released, Meta filed an arbitration demand, citing a voluntary non-disparagement agreement that Wynn-Williams signed upon leaving the company.
A day later, an arbitrator temporarily barred her from making any statements that could be considered “disparaging, critical, or otherwise detrimental” to Meta, including promoting her book.
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Her lawyers recently filed a motion to lift the order, arguing it prevents her from responding to requests from U.S. and international lawmakers on critical public issues.
However, Meta denies attempting to suppress her legal rights.
On Wednesday, Wynn-Williams’ attorney, Ravi Naik, confirmed that the gag order remains in place.
“Congress has made it clear they expect to be able to communicate with Ms. Wynn-Williams, and she wants to do so,” Naik said in a statement.
“Yet Meta has silenced her through arbitration, preventing her from speaking with lawmakers. She believes the public deserves to know the truth.”
