Meta Platforms, Inc.'s META latest whistleblower, Sarah Wynn-Williams, received strong support from lawmakers during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing Wednesday, where she accused CEO Mark Zuckerberg of shaping Meta's policies to curry favor with powerful governments, including China, while silencing dissenting voices.
What Happened: Wynn-Williams, a former policy director at Meta from 2011 to 2017, alleged that the company built censorship tools for the Chinese Communist Party and provided data on American users, all in pursuit of expansion into the Chinese market, reported The Verge.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned Zuckerberg's sudden rebranding as a free speech advocate, asking, "Do you buy this latest reinvention of Mark Zuckerberg?"
Wynn-Williams responded, "If he is such a fan of freedom of speech, why is he trying to silence me?"
He is a "man who wears many different costumes," she told lawmakers. "When I was there, he wanted the president of China to name his first child. He was learning Mandarin, he was censoring to his heart's content. Now his new costume is MMA fighting or free speech."
The whistleblower said Meta had pressured her through legal channels, obtaining an arbitration order to prevent her from promoting her book, Careless People, which accuses Meta of misconduct and harassment by a top executive.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone previously called the book defamatory, while the publisher pledged continued support.
In a statement to the publication, Meta's Ryan Daniels denied the claims, saying Wynn-Williams' testimony was "divorced from reality and riddled with false claims."
Lawmakers from both parties expressed concern over Meta's willingness to compromise American values for global expansion.
"Stop trying to silence her, stop trying to gag her, stop trying to hide behind your lawyers and millions of dollars in legal fees you're trying to impose on her," Hawley said."Come to this committee, take the oath, sit there, let us question you, and give the American people the truth. We will be waiting for you."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also said, "What I would say to Mark Zuckerberg is, stop gagging Ms. Wynn-Williams, let her speak the truth, and you come here and tell us your version of the truth, if you have the guts to do it."
Why It Matters: In January, Meta reached a $25 million settlement with President Donald Trump, resolving his 2021 lawsuit that accused the company—and other tech firms—of unlawful censorship following his suspension from Facebook and Instagram.
Since then, Meta has been adjusting its platforms and policies to align more closely with Trump's political views and priorities. These changes in content moderation have reportedly unsettled some advertisers.
The move also signals a thaw in the previously strained relationship between Zuckerberg and Trump. The two met at Mar-a-Lago in November, and Zuckerberg has reportedly contributed $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund.
This is a notable turnaround, given that Trump once publicly said Zuckerberg should be jailed over how his platforms handled Trump-related content.
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg has been meeting with officials at the White House to talk about ways Meta can help advance U.S. technological influence abroad.
Price Action: Meta’s stock surged 14.76% on Wednesday but saw a 2.71% decline during Thursday's pre-market trading, landing at $569.92 at the time of writing, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Meta boasts a solid growth score of 74.91% based on Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. You can explore how it stacks up against other companies by clicking here.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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