Meta says it has fired several employees for leaking internal data

In this photo illustration, the Meta Platforms, Inc. logo is displayed on a smartphone screen.
(Image credit: Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

  • Meta has fired "roughly 20" employees for apparent leaks
  • The company has seen a rise in leaks in recent months
  • Company information and project plans have been leaked

Meta has announced it has fired “roughly 20” employees for leaking confidential company information.

Speaking to TheVerge, Meta spokesperson Dave Arnolds said, “We tell employees when they join the company, and we offer periodic reminders, that it is against our policies to leak internal information, no matter the intent.”

Recently, Meta’s internal meetings and product plans have seen a sharp increase in leaks, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently stating “Everything I say, leaks” in a leaked memo.

Meta leaks

“We recently conducted an investigation that resulted in roughly 20 employees being terminated for sharing confidential information outside the company, and we expect there will be more. We take this seriously, and will continue to take action when we identify leaks,” Arnolds continued.

Meta employees have been warned not to leak company information and internal memos, with comments from Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth stating that the company was “making progress on catching people,” subsequently leaking.

Zuckerberg has aligned himself closely with President Trump, calling on him to stop the European Union from levying fines against the company, of which Meta has faced $2.67 billion in GDPR fines since 2022, and a $813.71 million fine for violating anti-trust regulations.

Meta has also cut back heavily on content moderation for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, and has ended diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, with Zuckerberg stating companies need “more masculine energy” on the Joe Rogan podcast. Other recent layoffs from Meta have been targeted at “low-performers.”

At an internal meeting in February 2025, Bosworth said, “There’s a funny thing that’s happening with these leaks. When things leak, I think a lot of times people think, ‘Ah, okay, this is leaked, therefore it’ll put pressure on us to change things.’ The opposite is more likely.”

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Benedict Collins
Staff Writer (Security)

Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division), then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.

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