Meta is back in the spotlight, and this time, it’s facing serious scrutiny after a whistleblower exposed how the company was ready to compromise free speech in a bid to break into the Chinese market. According to a detailed whistleblower complaint, Meta, under its former name Facebook, was prepared to launch a sweeping censorship system that would bow to the Chinese Communist Party’s demands.
The Start of Meta’s Chinese Ambitions
Aaccording to The Post, it all began around 2014 when Mark Zuckerberg made it clear that he wanted to break into the Chinese market — one of the largest and most lucrative in the world. As part of this ambition, he assembled a secret “China team” behind the scenes to work on a project to bring Facebook to China.
This project was internally referred to as “Project Aldrin,” named after astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The goal was to create a version of the social media platform that would comply with China’s strict censorship policies.
In fact, the complaint filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reveals that by 2015, Meta was negotiating directly with the Chinese government to figure out a way to operate in the country.
Zuckerberg’s team drafted a letter in 2014 to Lu Wei, then deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda department, laying the groundwork for what would become Meta’s controversial plan.
A Censorship System Tailored for China
Meta’s plans were far-reaching. As detailed in the complaint, the company developed a censorship system for China that would monitor and filter content on the platform. At least 300 content moderators were employed to ensure the system worked smoothly.
The whistleblower alleges that Meta went as far as to plan the appointment of a “chief editor” whose job would be to oversee content removal and, in extreme cases, shut down the platform during periods of “social unrest.”
This was seen as a necessary step to secure approval from the Chinese Communist Party, who demanded strict control over any foreign platform operating within their borders.
But the measures didn’t stop there. In 2017, Meta secretly launched several mobile apps under the guise of a China-based company to further appease Beijing. It didn’t take long for the Chinese government to exert influence, as Meta reportedly took action against Guo Wengui, a Chinese businessman and prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party.
The company’s crackdown on Guo’s account was allegedly done in line with Chinese government requests to show that Meta was willing to cater to the country’s interests.
Bowing to Pressure: The Case of the Dissident
Perhaps one of the most disturbing revelations from the whistleblower’s complaint is the claim that Zuckerberg personally agreed to target the account of a Chinese dissident living in the United States after pressure from a high-ranking Chinese official.
This was seen as a major step to gain favor with the Chinese government, as Meta sought to win approval for its entry into China’s tightly controlled digital space.
The Fallout and Changing Stance
In 2019, everything changed. As tensions between the United States and China grew, particularly during the Trump administration’s tough stance on China over trade, Meta’s approach shifted dramatically. At this point, Zuckerberg had publicly expressed his commitment to free speech, which sharply contrasted with his earlier actions in China.
During a meeting in 2019, Zuckerberg allegedly told employees that banning TikTok in the U.S. would benefit Meta’s business. He was even heard saying that “that’s a card we get to turn to” if the opportunity arose.
It was also in 2019 that Zuckerberg publicly criticized China’s closed internet system while extolling Meta’s commitment to free expression. This marked a stark departure from the company’s earlier tactics of censorship to gain Chinese market access.
Since then, Zuckerberg has doubled down on his stance for free expression, notably by eliminating third-party fact-checkers and relaxing content moderation policies following the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections.
This continued support for free speech even extended to his appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, where he criticized the Biden administration and defended Meta’s freedom of expression policies.
