Why I detest Meta

The dark side of Meta: How Facebook and Instagram abuse your data

Most of us know that using Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp means trading some privacy for convenience. But what if the trade-off is far worse than we realised? Behind the glossy interfaces, Meta has quietly built a business empire on surveillance, manipulation, and disregard for basic human rights. In this post, I’ll take a clear-eyed look at the illegal and unethical ways Meta abuses our data—and why growing lawsuits around the world could finally hold them accountable.


What Meta has been caught doing with our data

Illegal stuff (proven in court or settled without admission of guilt)

1. Cambridge Analytica scandal (2018)

  • Facebook allowed a third-party app to harvest data from up to 87 million users without consent.
  • That data was later used for political manipulation, including in the 2016 US Presidential election and Brexit campaigns.
  • Result: Facebook paid a US$5 billion fine to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — the largest ever privacy settlement at the time.
  • Facebook admitted no wrongdoing officially, but the fine was for violations of user privacy laws.

2. Biometric data collection without consent (Facebook Photo Tagging)

  • Facebook created a facial recognition system without getting clear, informed consent from users.
  • Class-action lawsuits (especially in Illinois, USA) led to Facebook paying US$650 million in settlements for violating biometric privacy laws.

3. Children’s data misuse (Instagram, 2022)

  • Meta was fined €405 million by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
  • Instagram allowed children’s accounts (ages 13–17) to display personal information like phone numbers and email addresses publicly — without adequate protections.

4. Misleading investors about privacy breaches (2019)

  • Facebook was fined US$100 million by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
  • The charge: They misled investors by not properly disclosing the risks around how user data was mishandled (especially relating to Cambridge Analytica).

Unethical stuff (legal but seriously questionable)

1. Excessive surveillance and data harvesting

  • Meta collects vast amounts of off-platform data — tracking users even when they’re not logged into Facebook or even if they don’t have a Facebook account.
  • Through trackers like Facebook Pixel, apps, and third-party websites.
  • Users are barely aware how much is being collected.

2. Manipulation of users’ emotions

  • In 2012, Facebook secretly ran a psychological experiment on nearly 700,000 users by manipulating their news feeds to see if exposure to positive or negative content would change their mood.
  • No informed consent was obtained — which would be required in any proper psychological study.

3. Addictive design

  • Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are designed to exploit psychological vulnerabilities — especially in teenagers — to maximise engagement (likes, endless scrolling, dopamine hits).
  • Former Facebook executives have admitted it was “designed to be addictive”.

4. Spreading misinformation and extremism

  • Internal research at Facebook (the “Facebook Papers”) revealed that Meta knew its algorithms promoted extreme, divisive content because that content generated more engagement.
  • They chose not to fix it because reducing engagement would hurt profits.

5. Neglecting user safety for profit

  • Whistleblower Frances Haugen (2021) provided documents showing Facebook knew Instagram was harmful to teenage girls’ mental health (e.g., worsening body image issues) — but did nothing because it would hurt user growth.

6. Shadow profiles

  • Meta builds shadow profiles: information about people who aren’t even Facebook users — collected from friends who have allowed contact access, public records, cookies, etc.
  • No opt-in, no real control — and you can’t easily find out what Meta knows about you if you aren’t a user.

7. Overcollection of WhatsApp data

  • Despite promising “privacy-first” encryption, Meta uses WhatsApp metadata — who you talk to, how often, your device info — for advertising targeting and network building.
  • They forced users in many countries (except Europe where GDPR stopped them) to accept new terms allowing this or lose access.

8. Lobbying against regulation

  • Meta spends tens of millions of dollars annually lobbying governments around the world to weaken privacy laws and shape tech regulation in its favour.

In short

Meta’s pattern:

1. Collect as much data as possible — often without real consent

2. Monetise it aggressively — even at the expense of user well-being

3. Cover up, delay, or pay fines when caught — but don’t fundamentally change their model

In my professional opinion?

While they have been fined for certain illegal activities, the unethical behaviour is far broader and far more damaging to society—especially to vulnerable populations like children and people with mental health struggles.

Major lawsuits and investigations still pending against Meta (as of 2025)

1. FTC vs Meta — Attempted breakup of Instagram and WhatsApp

  • Status: Ongoing
  • Details: The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing Meta to force the company to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, arguing the original acquisitions were anti-competitive.
  • Risk to Meta: Extremely high — if successful, Meta could be forced to split up.

2. Privacy class actions — Facebook and Instagram

  • Status: Multiple active cases worldwide (USA, UK, Australia, EU)
  • Details: Claims that Meta violated GDPR, Australian Privacy Principles, and CCPA (California) by mishandling sensitive personal data, failing to delete data on request, and misrepresenting privacy settings.

3. Child exploitation lawsuits

  • Status: Ongoing lawsuits in the US
  • Details: Families are suing Meta for negligence after children were exposed to predators or harmed by content on Instagram and Facebook.
  • New Twist: Some lawsuits argue Meta’s addictive design contributed to child exploitation risk.

4. Cambridge Analytica residual lawsuits

  • Status: Some individual lawsuits and government actions still pending
  • Details: Although the main case ended, some people and jurisdictions are still suing Meta for damages.

5. European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) enforcement

  • Status: Ongoing investigations
  • Details: Meta is under investigation for potential violations of the DMA, such as:
    • Failing to allow users to properly opt out of personalised advertising
    • Making cross-platform tracking difficult to refuse
  • Potential penalties: Fines up to 10% of global revenue per breach.

6. US states antitrust cases

  • Status: Multiple state attorneys general in the US are independently suing Meta
  • Details: Allegations include:
    • Suppressing competition by copying and crushing rivals
    • Forcing anti-competitive practices on advertisers and app developers.

Quick overall summary:

  • Meta faces enormous legal pressure, especially around privacy violations, child protection, and anti-competitive behaviour.
  • The US and EU are the two biggest threats to Meta’s business model.
  • If enough of these lawsuits succeed, Meta could be forced to either pay billions more or even break up into smaller companies (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp becoming separate again).

Meta’s history shows a pattern that’s hard to ignore—a company willing to push the boundaries of legality and ethics for profit. While fines and lawsuits may eventually rein in some of their worst behaviour, real change will only come when users demand it. Staying informed, protecting our own data, and holding these tech giants accountable is no longer optional—it’s essential. The choice is ours: continue feeding a system built on exploitation, or take back some control over our digital lives.

Every claim in this article is backed by publicly available evidence. You’ll find all the references listed below.

Here’s where every claim comes from:

Cambridge Analytica scandal

Biometric data collection (facial recognition)

Children’s data misuse (Instagram)

Misleading investors about privacy breaches

Excessive surveillance (Facebook Pixel, tracking non-users)

Manipulation of users’ emotions (2012 emotional experiment)

Addictive design and teen mental health harms

Spreading misinformation and extremism

Shadow profiles (data collected on non-users)

WhatsApp metadata harvesting

Lobbying against regulation

Current lawsuits and regulatory investigations

References

Federal Trade Commission. (2019, July 24). FTC imposes $5 billion penalty and sweeping new privacy restrictions on Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/07/ftc-imposes-5-billion-penalty-sweeping-new-privacy-restrictions-facebook

Reuters. (2021, February 26). Facebook to pay $650 million to settle facial recognition lawsuit. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-privacy-lawsuit-idUSKBN2AA2XB

BBC News. (2022, September 5). Instagram fined €405m over children’s data privacy. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-62785235

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (2019, July 24). SEC charges Facebook with making misleading disclosures regarding the risk of misuse of user data. Retrieved from https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2019-140

Washington Post. (2018, April 11). Facebook knows a ton about you — even if you’re not on Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/04/11/facebook-knows-a-ton-about-you-even-if-youre-not-on-facebook/

Kramer, A. D. I., Guillory, J. E., & Hancock, J. T. (2014). Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(24), 8788–8790. Retrieved from https://www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788

The Guardian. (2021, October 5). Facebook whistleblower reveals identity and testifies before Senate. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/05/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-senate-hearing

The New York Times. (2021, October 25). Facebook Papers reveal deep divisions within company. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/technology/facebook-papers.html

The Verge. (2018, April 11). Facebook’s shadow profiles are bigger and more invasive than you know. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/11/17223588/facebook-shadow-profiles-cambridge-analytica-data-privacy

The Guardian. (2021, January 8). WhatsApp forces users to share personal data with Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/08/whatsapp-forces-users-share-personal-data-facebook

OpenSecrets.org. (2024). Meta lobbying profile. Retrieved from https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2024&id=D000033563

Federal Trade Commission. (2024). FTC continues pursuit of antitrust case against Meta. Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/03/ftc-continues-pursuit-antitrust-case-against-meta

European Commission. (2024). Enforcement of the Digital Markets Act against Meta. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_1424

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