A former employee of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is under criminal investigation for allegedly downloading approximately 30,000 private images belonging to Facebook users. The suspect, who worked in London, reportedly designed a program to bypass internal security measures to access these images. The Metropolitan Police's cybercrime unit is leading the investigation, which began after Meta discovered the breach over a year ago. Following the incident, Meta terminated the employee, notified affected users, and enhanced its security protocols. Legal experts suggest that while Meta may not be liable if it had appropriate measures in place, it could face significant fines if found negligent. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is also monitoring the situation, emphasizing the need for social media companies to handle user data responsibly. This incident comes on the heels of a landmark court ruling in Los Angeles, where Meta and Google were held liable for failing to protect users from harm, further complicating the company's legal landscape regarding user privacy.