A former Meta engineer is under criminal investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police for allegedly using custom software to bypass security and download 30,000 private Facebook user photographs.

Key Points

• The suspect, a man in his 30s, was arrested in November 2025 on suspicion of unauthorized access to computer material.
• Meta discovered the breach over a year ago, terminated the employee, and reported the incident to law enforcement.
• The engineer reportedly developed a specific script designed to circumvent internal detection systems to harvest user data.
• The Metropolitan Police cybercrime unit is leading the investigation, with the suspect currently released on bail until May.
• Meta claims it has since strengthened its internal security systems and notified all affected Facebook users.

Why it Matters

This incident highlights significant vulnerabilities regarding internal data access and the potential for employee misconduct within major technology firms. It underscores the ongoing challenges companies face in balancing the training of AI systems with the protection of sensitive user privacy.