The recent lawsuit against Meta has brought to light a number of documents that reveal the inner workings of the company’s plans to analyze Snapchat’s encrypted traffic. These documents include emails from Mark Zuckerberg, senior Facebook executives, and objections from the security manager.
The email exchange began in June 2016 when Snapchat was gaining popularity, reaching 148 million users in just six months. Facebook, struggling to keep up with new generations and Instagram’s growing popularity, launched Instagram Stories as a response. This move proved successful and shifted the digital landscape.
The documents detail a project called IAAP, nicknamed Ghostbusters, aimed at analyzing Snapchat’s traffic. Facebook encouraged its users to install a kit that collected data on their digital activity in other apps, allowing the company to analyze user behavior in Snapchat. The project was based on technology from Onavo, a VPN application acquired by Facebook in 2013. It used cyberespionage techniques to intercept user traffic from various websites, not just Snapchat.
Despite objections from the security manager and other executives about the legality and ethics of such actions, Facebook deployed the project for three years. The documents show a complex monitoring scheme that allowed Facebook to view user activity on these platforms.
Facebook used a modified Facebook application to collect and analyze user data, even from encrypted traffic. This allowed them to track user behavior on Snapchat and other platforms. The project raised concerns about privacy and security violations.
Meta denies any wrongdoing in relation to the project Ghostbusters and claims that users consented to their data being collected. However, these documents shed light on the lengths companies may go to gain a competitive edge in the digital marketplace.
The case is ongoing, with Meta defending its actions as necessary for competitive analysis.
In conclusion, these documents highlight how companies can use advanced technology and techniques to collect data without users knowledge or consent. While some argue that this information can be used for marketing purposes or improving products/services