Well, this is a transcendent level of evil: Facebook bought a VPN company and deployed it, in part, to spy on its competitor's users.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/26/facebook-secret-project-snooped-snapchat-user-traffic/
It's a reminder that VPNs have their own risks, beyond technical ones if operated incompetently -- namely, that you have to trust the VPN company itself.
UPDATED to reflect which users were being spied on.
This week I have considered deleting my Facebook and Instagram accounts. However, I use them for my business and non-profit groups to extend their reach. If only there was a better alternative with as broad of base I would delete them.
@MichaelBishop @dangillmor The users stay on Facebook because of the businesses and nonprofits. The businesses and nonprofits stay because of the users.
It's a 3-billion wide Mexican standoff.
@pomegranate_stew @MichaelBishop @dangillmor 3 billion wide, people participate in on average 10 forms of a social group, so there's a chance of about 1 in 1000 you're able to evict Facebook from your life without losing some social groups.
Assuming equal distribution, which it does not have.
Dan Gillmor
Michael Bishop ☕
Peter Bindels
Pomegranate_Stew