Senate Probes Meta's China Market Attempts

The U.S. Senate is investigating Meta Platforms for alleged efforts to enter the Chinese market by building censorship tools. Senators are demanding documents from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, citing whistleblower accounts and a past plan called 'Project Aldrin.' Meta denies current operations in China.

The U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has launched a probe into Meta Platforms, Facebook's parent company, over its efforts to access the Chinese market. The investigation, spearheaded by Senator Ron Johnson and supported by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley, seeks to uncover whether Meta developed censorship tools for the Chinese Communist Party.

The Senators have requested exhaustive documentation from Meta, including all communications with Chinese officials since 2014. This inquiry follows allegations detailed in a book by former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams. According to the book, Meta devised a 'three-year plan' called 'Project Aldrin' to penetrate the Chinese market.

Meta spokespersons have denied these claims, stating, 'We do not operate our services in China today.' However, Senator Blumenthal expressed concerns over the allegations, highlighting the potential implications of such actions for global digital freedom and integrity.

(With inputs from agencies.)