Former Meta Engineer Investigated for Alleged Download of 30,000 Private Facebook Photos

A former engineer for Meta is currently under investigation by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of unauthorised access and download of around 30,000 private photographs belonging to Facebook users.

Details of the Alleged Breach

The individual, a London resident, is believed to have developed a bespoke programme designed to bypass Meta's security protocols and access personal images. Meta confirmed the breach was identified more than a year ago, resulting in the immediate termination of the employee and a subsequent referral to law enforcement authorities.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest of a man in his 30s in November 2025 on suspicion of unauthorised access to computer material. He has since been released on bail and is due to report to the police again in May.

The Metropolitan Police's Cybercrime Unit is leading the investigation, following a referral from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States. Meta has stated that affected Facebook users have been notified, and security systems have been upgraded.

Previous Security Concerns

This incident adds to a series of security challenges faced by the Facebook parent company. In November 2022, Meta was fined €265 million (£228 million) by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) due to a breach that exposed the personal details of hundreds of millions of Facebook users online. Furthermore, in September 2024, the DPC issued a €91 million (£75 million) fine after discovering Meta had inadvertently stored unencrypted user passwords on its internal systems.