Meta alleges surveillance firm collected data on 600,000 users via fake accounts

Lawsuit targets Voyager after Guardian investigation uncovered police partnership and company's claims it could predict crime

Meta has sued to block a surveillance company from using Facebook and Instagram, alleging the firm, which has partnered with law enforcement, created tens of thousands of fake accounts to collect user data.

A complaint filed on Thursday asks a judge to permanently ban Voyager Labs from accessing Meta's sites and comes after a Guardian investigation revealed the company had partnered with the Los Angeles police department (LAPD) in 2019 and claimed that it could use social media information to predict who may commit a future crime.