In 2016, Facebook went on a covert mission: breaking open Snapchat’s encrypted data to understand how users were engaging with its rival. Newly released court documents expose “Project Ghostbusters,” Facebook’s unsettling effort to squash the competition.
The goal was simple, yet shocking: Facebook wanted unfiltered access into what users were doing on Snapchat. Even with encryption in place, they were determined to find a way in.
Frustrated by limits on data collection, Mark Zuckerberg emailed engineers in 2016 calling for “reliable analytics” on Snapchat. The tech giant’s answer was chilling – they’d use Onavo, a VPN-like tool acquired by Facebook in 2013. Onavo, which Facebook would eventually shut down in 2019 after revelations it was being used to spy on unsuspecting teenagers, became the key to their surveillance scheme.
Internal emails show how Facebook’s “Project Ghostbusters” involved installing software that intercepted app traffic, allowing them to crack encryption and read data normally protected from prying eyes. Think of it as a digital wiretap, designed to steal usernames, passwords, and intimate details of a user’s activity. And they weren’t just targeting Snapchat – Amazon and YouTube were later added to the surveillance list.
Within Facebook, the morality of Project Ghostbusters sparked debate. Senior employees raised deep concerns, one saying, “The general public just doesn’t know how this stuff works.” They were right. Most users had no idea their data was being weaponized against them to give Facebook an unfair advantage.
In 2020, consumers filed a class action lawsuit alleging Facebook lied about its data collection practices. They claim Facebook used this deceptively obtained data to cripple competitors. The court documents offer a disturbing glimpse behind the curtain, revealing the lengths to which the company was willing to go in its quest for dominance.