A legal case accusing Meta of spying on rival apps has shed light on Mark Zuckerberg's intimidating demeanor in emails.
In one instance, Zuckerberg reportedly told an employee, "You should figure out how to do this," a message that could send shivers down anyone's spine.
Employees often dread certain messages from their bosses, such as the ominous request, "Do you have a minute?"
CEOs, including Zuckerberg, often have a terse and immediate email style, expecting quick and concise responses without the usual pleasantries.
While efficient, this can be daunting for employees trying to decipher the underlying message.
The recent unsealing of documents from a lawsuit against Meta revealed Zuckerberg's directive to his team in 2016 to find a way to track user analytics from competitors, particularly Snapchat.
Here's a summary of the reported story by Kali Hays and Jack Newsham:
Meta had acquired Onavo, a company with a privacy app that tracked user data from other apps.
This data was instrumental in identifying popular new apps, such as WhatsApp, which Meta later acquired.
However, Snapchat's user data was encrypted, rendering Onavo unable to track its activity
Zuckerberg's email to several Facebook employees, including Javier Olivan (now Meta's COO), instructed them to find a way around Snapchat's encryption.
Despite objections from other Meta executives, Zuckerberg seemed determined to breach Snapchat's encryption. The head of security and privacy engineering at the time remarked, "I can't think of a good argument for why this is okay."
What's particularly chilling is the last line of Zuckerberg's email: "You should figure out how to do this."
Receiving a message from your boss suggesting you should simply figure out a solution can be terrifying. While some might find such a directive empowering, as it implies trust in their abilities, others may find it overwhelming.
To their credit, Meta employees did manage to find a solution.
However, whether this is commendable project management or a morally questionable and scandalous action is open to interpretation. Nonetheless, receiving such an email from one's boss would undoubtedly be a nerve-wracking experience.