Facebook Whistleblower Rocks Congress with Claims that Meta AI could be Helping Chinese Military

In this week’s firehose news cycle, there was no shortage of subjects to write about: Trump’s tariff debacle, evidence to suggest that there was massive insider trading ahead of its reversal, evidence to suggest that deep-pocketed CEO’s are buying carvouts to trade policies, word that the government is monitoring legal immigrants social media for allegiance to Isreal at the risk of being deported, or even Elon Musk and Peter Navaro’s moron-to-moron flame war.

However, one bombshell story seemed to be flying under the radar, and I wanted to draw readers’ attention to it.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing with Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams, the company's former Director of Global Public Policy. Wynn-Williams’ testimony claims that Meta (Facebook's parent company) has been lying to the public and Congress about its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party and that the true extent of the collaboration between the two could pose serious national security threats.

Here’s one excerpt that I found particularly shocking:

“We are engaged in a high-stakes AI arms race against China, and during my time at Meta, company executives lied about what they were doing with the Chinese Communist Party to employees, shareholders, Congress, and the American public, Wynn Williams told committee members. “I sit before this committee today to set the record straight about these illegal and dangerous activities. Meta’s dishonesty started with the betrayal of core American values. Mark Zuckerberg pledged himself a free speech champion, yet I witnessed Meta work hand in glove with the Chinese communist party to construct and test custom-built censorship tools that silenced and censored their critics. When Beijing demanded that Facebook delete the account of a prominent Chinese dissident living on American soil, they did it and then lied to the American Congress when asked about it at a Senate hearing.”

That’s a big claim, and if true, it would mean that Meta—a company whose $1.48 trillion market capitalization represents about .3% of the entire value of the U.S. stock market—is actively abetting our primary economic and military adversary, potentially strengthening military might that could one day be used against us. Wynn-Williams claims that Meta hasn’t even refuted her claims, telling Congress, “They can’t. I have the documents.”

Wynn-Williams noted that as recently as this Monday, Facebook claimed it did not operate its services in China. However, she claimed that it has been doing so since as early as 2014. She noted that Meta’s own SEC filings from last year show that China is now its second biggest market behind the U.S. Wynn-Williams claimed that Meta’s AI platform, Llama, had significantly contributed to Chinese AI tools, including DeepSeek. This Chinese AI platform recently shocked the world with its low cost and effectiveness, wiping out billions of dollars from the market value of chip giant Nvidia by demonstrating that better design could circumvent access to top-tier microprocessors. She added the obvious point that the Chinese military will inevitably exploit such AI tools for its own gain.

Facebook has gone scorched earth on its ex-employee, filing a nine-figure lawsuit and seeking a broad gag order to prevent Wynn-Williams from talking to anyone, including Congress.

Given the suspicious Nov. 26, 2024, death of 26-year-old Suchir Balaji—a former OpenAI employee and whistleblower who was found dead in his apartment under very suspicious circumstances just weeks after telling the New York Times that OpenAI had engaged in practices that violated intellectual property laws while developing ChatGPT—Wynn-Williams’ testimony seemed all the more heroic.

Initially ruled a suicide—despite no evidence that Balaji was suicidal or even depressed, and his apartment appearing to have been tossed—his parents were dissatisfied with the ruling, hiring a private investigator to dig further. Blood spattering in the bathroom suggested a fight may have taken place. An independent autopsy was commissioned, and a second gunshot wound in Balaji’s head was discovered. Few people shoot themselves anywhere twice, let alone in the head.

American citizens, politicians, and corporations compromising American interests and security to China in exchange for the wealth the country is willing to provide is nothing new and has been happening continuously at varying levels ever since the Nixon administration opened up trade with the Far East nation. However, the scope and magnitude of what Wynn-Williams is alleging may be unprecedented. Given the prominence of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the rest of Silicon Valley in this presidential administration, it does not seem likely that an earnest investigation will come anytime soon.

That is unacceptable. In the closing words of Wynn-Williams, “Meta has been allowed to compromise its values, sacrifice the security of its users, and undermine American interests to build its China business. It’s been happening for years, covered up by lies, and continues to this day. I am here at considerable personal risk because you have the power and authority to hold them accountable.”

Let's hope she didn't take that risk for nothing and that Congress will find the courage to demand real action. 

The AI security risk is but one aspect of the plethora of misdeeds alleged by Wynn-Williams during the nearly two-hour hearing, which is embedded below.

Dennis "Mitch" Maley is an editor and columnist for The Bradenton Times and the host of our weekly podcast. With over two decades of experience as a journalist, he has covered Manatee County government since 2010. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University and later served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. Click here for his bio. Mitch is also the author of three novels and a short story collection available here.