Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has raised the possibility of a criminal referral against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg following revelations concerning Facebook's willingness to provide China with access to American user data.
This development emerged after Sarah Wynn-Williams, who served as Facebooks director of global public policy from 2011 to 2017, testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. According to Wynn-Williams, Zuckerberg made concerted efforts to ingratiate himself with Beijing, aiming to establish an $18 billion business venture in China.
As reported by Western Journal, Wynn-Williams disclosed that Zuckerberg's strategies included engaging in briefings with Chinese officials on artificial intelligence technology. She highlighted a direct connection between these briefings and China's recent advancements in developing AI models for military applications. Furthermore, she pointed out that China was granted access to the data of Americans who interacted with Chinese citizens, whose information was retained by the Chinese government.
Senator Hawley expressed his concerns on social media platform X, stating, "And here you have it, straight from a former Facebook employee Meta was willing to store data in China & give the Chinese government access to it To hell with Americans user data and personal information." He accused Meta of prioritizing profit and power over the privacy and security of American users. "This is extraordinary. This is exactly contrary to what Facebook has represented for years," Hawley remarked in a video accompanying his post. He criticized Meta's willingness to compromise American user data for financial gains in China, asserting that the company was prepared to go to great lengths to achieve its objectives.
Hawley suggested that there is more to uncover regarding Meta's interactions with China, noting, "Theyre flying CCP officials to the United States and doing meetings, I mean, that is something. So I think its just the tip of the iceberg." He indicated the possibility of referring Zuckerberg to the Department of Justice, pending further investigation into Meta's dealings with China. Hawley also described Zuckerberg's previous testimony about Metas relationship with China as "at best highly misleading."
Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat, echoed Hawley's sentiments, expressing his dismay at the situation. He remarked that the "American people are going to be pretty outraged that Mark Zuckerberg sold out America with China, that he imperiled our national security."
In light of these revelations, Hawley has called for Zuckerberg to testify before Congress. He shared his intentions on X, writing, "After yesterdays shocking revelations, its time for Mark Zuckerberg to come to Capitol Hill, take an oath, and answer to America for how he has sold out our countrys security for China profits." This statement was accompanied by a copy of his letter to Zuckerberg, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the need for accountability.
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