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Senator Calls for Zuckerberg to Testify on National Security Allegations

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has urged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear before Congress in light of accusations made by a former Facebook executive regarding the company’s potential threats to U.S. national security.

In a letter addressed to Zuckerberg, Hawley emphasized, “The American people deserve to know the truth about your company,” further stating that the public has a right to hear Zuckerberg’s responses to these critical allegations, especially as they relate to national security issues.

Hawley requested that Zuckerberg testify at an upcoming Senate Judiciary Crime and Counterterrorism Subcommittee hearing titled “A Time for Truth, Part II: Oversight of Meta’s Foreign Relations and Representations to the United States.”

This request follows a hearing where Sarah Wynn-Williams, who previously served as Meta’s director of global public policy, testified about her experiences within the company. During her seven-year tenure, she claimed that Meta’s leadership systematically compromised American values.

Wynn-Williams accused company executives of making concerted efforts to curry favor with Chinese officials in order to expand their business operations in China, which is valued at approximately $18 billion. She asserted, “Company executives lied about what they were doing with the Chinese Communist Party to employees, shareholders, Congress and the American public,” addressing the Senate Subcommittee chaired by Hawley.

In her testimony, she asserted that Meta provided the Chinese Communist Party with access to sensitive user data, including that of American citizens. Furthermore, she claimed that the company’s artificial intelligence initiatives may have facilitated advancements in Chinese technologies, citing the success of the AI startup DeepSeek.

In response to Hawley’s letter, The Hill reached out to Meta for their perspective. A spokesperson for Meta, Ryan Daniels, countered Wynn-Williams’s claims, stating, “The fact is this: we do not operate our services in China today,” reiterating that while Meta generates revenue from Chinese advertisers, it does not imply operational services within China.

Hawley also indicated that Meta attempted to impede his efforts to conduct the hearing featuring Wynn-Williams. He remarked, “They have threatened her with $50,000 in punitive damages every time she mentions Facebook in public… even if the statements she is making are true.” He went on to suggest that the firm is intentionally undermining her reputation, questioning their motivation behind such actions.

Wynn-Williams has recently gained national attention with the launch of her memoir, “Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism.” The book not only explores Meta’s dealings with China but also includes allegations of sexual harassment by her former supervisor within the company. Despite Meta’s attempts to halt its publication, the memoir has achieved significant popularity, soaring to the top 10 on the Amazon bestseller list.

Source
thehill.com