Meta Faces Scrutiny as Access to user DMs Expands, Raising Privacy Fears
WASHINGTON D.C. – Meta is facing increased scrutiny over its potential access to user direct messages (DMs), wiht reports indicating a broadening of data sharing with authorities and concerns raised about internal security practices. While Meta maintains it does not currently read messages and denies building “backdoors” into its products, evidence suggests a shift towards providing “near real-time” data to law enforcement since at least 2021, and a former head of security alleges widespread access to sensitive user data by company engineers.
The evolving situation raises notable privacy concerns,notably in light of allegations that MetaS WhatsApp data has been exploited for targeted violence.A 2024 report by Israel’s 972 Magazine and analysis by Tech for Palestine revealed that Israel’s ‘Lavender‘ AI targeting system utilized WhatsApp data to identify Palestinians, leading to bombings of homes “as a first option,” according to one source who told the magazine, “It’s much easier to bomb a family’s home. The system is built to look for them in these situations.”
This isn’t the first instance of alleged misuse of messaging data. Journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s family WhatsApp messages were reportedly hacked using Israel’s ‘Pegasus‘ spyware prior to his murder in a saudi embassy, and the software has also been used to target human rights activists, journalists, and political opponents.
Adding to the controversy, Meta is currently being sued in the US by its former head of security, Attaullah Baig, who claims the company allows thousands of engineers access to sensitive user data and failed to address security flaws resulting in over 100,000 account hacks daily. Meta denies these allegations,stating they ignored Baig’s warnings and subsequently terminated his employment.
The concerns surrounding meta are compounded by separate reports from digital rights group SMEX, which revealed that many Samsung mid-range handsets are pre-installed with “unremovable” Israeli spyware, further highlighting broader vulnerabilities in online security.
