In 2016, Facebook launched a secret project, code-named ‘Project Ghostbusters,’ aimed at intercepting and decrypting the network traffic between users of Snapchat’s app and its servers. This clandestine operation was designed to help Facebook understand user behavior and gain a competitive edge over Snapchat. The project’s objectives were revealed in newly unsealed court documents as part of a class action lawsuit against Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
The Birth of Project Ghostbusters
According to the court documents, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, expressed his concerns about not having reliable analytics on Snapchat users due to their encrypted traffic. In an email dated June 9, 2016, Zuckerberg instructed engineers to find a new way to gather data on Snapchat users. The engineers proposed using Onavo, a VPN-like service acquired by Facebook in 2013.
The Role of Onavo
Onavo was a mobile app that allowed Facebook to collect data on its users’ web activity. The team used Onavo to develop kits that could be installed on iOS and Android devices to intercept traffic for specific subdomains, enabling them to read what would otherwise be encrypted traffic. This approach is known as a ‘man-in-the-middle’ attack, where hackers intercept internet traffic flowing from one device to another over a network.
Expanding the Project
Later, Facebook expanded its program to include Amazon and YouTube, further compromising users’ online activity. The project’s engineers used Onavo to collect data on these platforms, allowing them to gain insights into user behavior and preferences.
Concerns Within Facebook
Internal emails reveal that some employees expressed concerns about the ethics of Project Ghostbusters. Pedro Canahuati, then-head of security engineering, questioned whether the project was morally justifiable. "I can’t think of a good argument for why this is okay," he wrote in an email included in the court documents.
The Lawsuit Against Facebook
In 2020, Sarah Grabert and Maximilian Klein filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook, claiming that the company had lied about its data collection activities. The plaintiffs alleged that Facebook exploited the data it collected to gain a competitive edge over other companies.
Facebook’s Response
As revealed in court documents, Facebook shut down Onavo, citing concerns about user trust and security. However, the existence of Project Ghostbusters raises questions about Facebook’s commitment to protecting users’ online activity.
