Ex-Meta employee investigated over alleged download of 30,000 private Facebook photos

A former Meta employee is under investigation in the UK after allegedly downloading around 30,000 private Facebook images using a program designed to bypass security checks.

A former Meta employee is being investigated after allegedly accessing and downloading around 30,000 private Facebook photos. According to the information reported, the man, who lives in London, is suspected of creating a program that allowed him to access personal images on the platform while avoiding internal security controls.

Meta said the issue was discovered more than a year ago. The company stated that the employee was dismissed immediately and that the case was referred to law enforcement. The investigation is now being handled by the Metropolitan Police's Cybercrime Unit after a referral linked to US authorities.

Police said 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 is due to report back to police in May.

Meta also said it had informed the affected Facebook users and had strengthened its internal security systems since the incident. The case adds to a series of security and privacy controversies surrounding the company in recent years.

The group has previously faced major regulatory penalties in Europe, including fines linked to the publication of personal Facebook data and the improper internal storage of certain user passwords without encryption. More recently, Meta has also faced legal pressure over the design of its platforms and their wider effects on users.

This new case again raises questions about internal access controls, employee oversight and the protection of private user data on major social media platforms.