A report from whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams details allegations made about Facebook in a 78-page complaint filed last April with the SEC. The complaint includes claims that the company built a censorship system in hopes of being allowed to operate in China and considered allowing the Chinese government access to users’ data in the country. Reports of Facebook developing a version for China, where it has been blocked since 2009, were first reported in 2016.
Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook global policy director who was fired in 2017, stated in the complaint that the company formed a team in 2014 focused on creating a China-compliant version of Facebook under the code-name «Project Aldrin.» In addition to building a censorship system, it was proposed during negotiations with Chinese officials that a Chinese private-equity firm review content posted by users in China. It was also suggested that Facebook hire hundreds of moderators dedicated to removing restricted content.
In a statement to The Washington Post, Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone acknowledged the company’s past interest in the Chinese market but mentioned that CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced a shift away from these efforts in 2019. Wynn-Williams’ complaint sheds light on how far Facebook (pre-Meta) was reportedly willing to go to gain a Chinese user base.
Zuckerberg has implemented changes to how Meta’s platforms approach moderation. Earlier this year, he announced that Facebook and Instagram would adopt a new moderation system called X-style Community Notes.
The full report from The Washington Post can be found here.
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