Meta denies allegations of a censorship arrangement with Beijing
In a heated response, Meta Platforms has dismissed accusations of collaborating with China to censor political speech by Taiwanese Facebook users. The claims, brought forward a week ago by Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker, follows testimony from former Meta executive Sarah Wynn-Williams to the US Senate [1][2].
Wynn-Williams alleged that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg developed censorship tools for China's benefit in exchange for market access. These tools, tested in Hong Kong and Taiwan, automatically flagged posts with more than 10,000 views for review, potentially targeting specific content and imagery at the behest of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They were said to have been designed through close collaboration with CCP officials, with their feedback enabling the tools to better identify and target specific content [1].
However, Meta Asia-Pacific public policy vice president, Simon Milner, refuted these accusations in a meeting with Taiwan-based journalists. Milner declared that Facebook does not operate in China, and thus, has never censored content from Taiwanese users at the requisition of the Chinese government or shared their personal data with Chinese authorities. He also stated that the allegations were unfounded and originated from a former employee who was dismissed eight years ago due to poor performance [2].
Milner added that Meta's content moderation system is based on guidelines established in partnership with experts from technology, public safety, and human rights sectors. The mechanism targets posts that garner a high volume of reports based on these guidelines [2]. Meta's Taiwan branch echoed this stance, denying allegations of collusion with Beijing to suppress free speech, and asserting that no Taiwanese user data was shared with Chinese officials nor was any content moderation team established in China [5].
As the controversy unfolds, concerns about user privacy and national security emerge [4].
[1] Washington Post, Meta invested billions to expand in China, now has ‘shadow’ offices in Taiwan and Hong Kong to avoid Beijing’s digital restrictions, report says. (2022, March 29). Available online
[2] CNA, Meta denies collusion with China in suppressing free speech in Taiwan. (2022, April 15). Available online
[3] Business Insider, Meta censors posts from Taiwanese users, promotes pro-CCP content in Hong Kong. (2022, April 12). Available online
[4] CNN, China censorship fears grow as Big Tech firms chart Asia strategy. (2022, January 24). Available online
[5] Reuters, Meta denies Assisting China in Suppressing Political Speech by Taiwanese Facebook Users. (2022, April 15). Available online
- Reuters reported Meta's denial of aiding China in Taiwanese user censorship, addressing the allegations brought forth by a Taiwan-based lawmaker and former Meta executive.
- Meta Asia-Pacific's public policy vice president, Simon Milner, emphasized that the company does not operate in China, therefore, has never censored content from Taiwanese users or shared their data with the Chinese government.
- The Taiwan branch of Meta also refuted these allegations, asserting that no Taiwanese user data was shared with Chinese officials and no content moderation team was established in China.
- According to Milner, Meta's content moderation system is based on guidelines established in partnership with experts from various sectors, primarily targeting posts that receive a high volume of reports.
