Meta, like so many other tech firms, keeps saying they want to protect users. The question for users is whether we should believe their words or their actions.
The intimate conversation between a mother and daughter in the days surrounding an alleged abortion was just one of the millions logged by Facebook every day, but for this family it will be devastating. After police obtained a warrant for the girl’s Facebook data, they used the information the company provided to apply for a second search warrant to raid her home.
Search warrants require probable cause, particularized evidence to show that law enforcement will be able to obtain even more evidence at the place being searched. In this case, police could prove the value of searching the girl’s home, in part, because of the records they received from Facebook. Thatallowed them to not only search the family’s home, but collect any electronic devices, medications, and other records. The mother and daughter are now both facing criminal charges.
In this case, like so many others, Facebook was an early target for an investigation. The ubiquitous platform is relied upon by billions of users globally, a repository of countless fleeting and self-incriminating thoughts. While users know that anything they post publicly on Facebook is likely visible to the world, including to law enforcement, Messenger creates a false sense of privacy.
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