When Facebook Used VPN to Secretly Spy on Snapchat, YouTube, and Rival Apps

When an acquisition attempt failed, switched gears. Instead of owning Snapchat, it mimicked its most successful feature. Instagram Stories, released shortly after, was a clear clone. This was not a one-time strategy but a model – track competition, learn fast, and launch before rivals gained ground.
Apple later cracked down. In 2018, the App Store removed Onavo for breaching privacy rules. Yet Facebook rebranded its efforts through a new program named Facebook Research, internally known as Project Atlas. Users, some as young as 13, were paid for access to the same deep-level tracking. This sparked outrage, and Apple responded by revoking Facebook’s enterprise certificates, causing internal apps to go dark.
Regulators eventually stepped in. In 2020, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed a case over deceptive practices. In 2023, Meta subsidiaries faced AUD 20 million in fines. Despite this, the story of Facebook VPN highlights how far a tech company can go to maintain control through hidden data channels.
The legacy of Onavo is a reminder. A meant for privacy can become a tool for surveillance when placed in the wrong hands. The Facebook VPN story shows that surveillance wasn’t a byproduct – it was the strategy.
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