Meta is involved in a class action lawsuit over a clandestine project called 'Ghostbusters', later renamed the 'In-App Action Panel' (IAAP), designed to intercept and analyze competitor app traffic.

The project targeted apps such as Snapchat, YouTube, and Amazon to leverage Facebook's position in the social media and advertising sectors.

Court documents allege Facebook employed a 'man-in-the-middle' approach, encouraging users to install kits that intercepted encrypted data from these apps.

These actions have sparked accusations against Meta for anticompetitive behavior and potential violations of wiretapping laws.

The lawsuit claims that Facebook's data collection practices allowed it to inflate ad rates and harm market competition.

Meta has denied the allegations and stated the issue was previously reported, but has not commented on the newly unsealed court documents detailing the project's methods.