A former Meta engineer based in London is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police. He is alleged to have built custom software to bypass internal security controls and download roughly 30,000 private photos of Facebook users.
Meta confirmed the breach was detected more than a year ago. The company terminated the employee and reported the incident to law enforcement. The suspect, a man in his 30s, was arrested in November 2025 on suspicion of unauthorised access to computer material. He was later released on bail and required to report to police in May. The investigation was launched after a referral from the FBI to UK cybercrime units. Meta has notified affected users and upgraded its security infrastructure.
This is not Meta’s first privacy scandal. Back in 2022, Meta was fined €265 million by Ireland’s DPC after hundreds of millions of users’ personal data was leaked online. In 2024, the regulator fined Meta €91 million for storing some user passwords unencrypted on internal servers. The firm also faces lawsuits over addictive social media designs. In March, a California jury ruled Meta and Google built platforms that harmed young users’ mental health, awarding $6 million in damages to the plaintiff. Both companies plan to appeal.
The Core Weakness of Centralised Architecture: Insider Threats
Traditional social platforms store all photos and personal data on central servers. Internal engineers and administrators hold backend access. Even with monitoring systems, malicious insiders can craft tools to evade safeguards. Content marked “private” is hidden from ordinary users, yet still accessible to platform staff. This is the insider threat: centralised systems can defend against external hackers, but struggle to fully block misuse from personnel with legitimate backend privileges.
Decentralised Encryption: Return Data Ownership to Users
D-Chat is built to mitigate this category of leak. In our decentralised encrypted system, user data is not concentrated on corporate servers. End-to-end encryption encrypts messages and media locally on your device. Decryption keys remain in your control. Node operators cannot read your private photos or conversations. The security of D-Chat relies on cryptography, not corporate trust. Your data belongs to you.
Data breach stories often feel distant. Yet this Meta case reminds us risks come not only from outside hackers, but also insider abuse. Before sharing sensitive photos and private information, ask yourself: does this platform truly guarantee only I can view my content?
About D-Chat
D-Chat is a decentralised encrypted communication solution. Powered by end-to-end encryption, it lets users retain control of their keys and private assets. We uphold the principle of user-owned data and reduce insider-data leakage risks that plague centralised services.
Read original BBC report:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg049xz1ygo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
