Court filings reveal that Meta, formerly known as Facebook, allegedly used its Onavo VPN service to spy on Snapchat and other competitors in a secret initiative called "Project Ghostbusters." This involved intercepting traffic for certain apps on iOS and Android devices to obtain data analytics from rivals. The company's internal effort to gather intelligence on competitors has raised concerns about potential violations of the United States Wiretap Act and antitrust laws. Meta denies the allegations, but the court filings suggest that senior executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, were involved in the communications regarding this initiative.
Morton H. Halperin, a former senior official in multiple US administrations, recounts his experience working with Henry Kissinger and the lengths Kissinger went to in order to maintain power and control. After a leak about the US bombing of Cambodia, Kissinger suspected Halperin and ordered the FBI to wiretap his home phone. Despite Halperin's attempts to resign, Kissinger refused to let him leave the National Security Council (NSC) and even offered him a consulting role. Halperin eventually resigned and became an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War. The wiretap on his home phone continued for eight months, leading to a lawsuit and an eventual apology from Kissinger.
Jeffrey Hill, the technology director for Colleton County and son of Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill, has been arrested on wiretapping charges. Hill allegedly misused his position to listen to a conversation between two victims without their consent, which was confirmed by phone records. The investigation was conducted by the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office's Public Integrity Unit, and Hill was given a $20,000 bond.
The Paris Court of Appeals has upheld a 2021 conviction of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy for corruption and influence peddling, sentencing him to three years with two years suspended. Sarkozy has vowed to appeal the verdict at France’s Supreme Court. The case involved a secret telephone line discovered through wiretapping, which Sarkozy and his former lawyer, Thierry Herzog, used to form a "corruption pact" with a judge to obtain and share information about a legal investigation. Sarkozy still faces retrial in the Bygmalion case and a potential new trial over alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 election campaign.
An audio recording of a phone conversation between two wealthy members of the Russian elite, music producer Iosif Prigozhin and former senator Farhad Akhmedov, allegedly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused a sensation in Russia. The authenticity of the recording remains uncertain, with Prigozhin initially claiming it was fake but later admitting parts were authentic. Independent investigative news outlet Important Stories believes the recording is authentic, citing a source in FSB. The conversation also touches on frustrations with the current political situation in Russia and Western sanctions against it.
