Meta is honing down on their security, banning several surveillance companies from its platforms.
The social media organisation says seven companies targeted Meta users by creating fake accounts, befriending targets and using other deceitful methods.
50,000 users are expected to be notified about the malicious activities.
Human rights activists, government critics, celebrities, journalists and ordinary people were among the unsuspected targets across over 100 countries.
1,500 accounts on Instagram and Facebook were linked to these “surveillance-for-hire” companies that were gathering information on people.
Meta’s head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher says “each of these actors rely on networks of fake accounts on our platforms that are used to deceive users and mislead them”.
WhatsApp was also used by some firms to install spyware and other malware.
“The goal is to spy on people or snoop on them without them knowing about it,” Mr Gleicher says.
