Facebook employees were able to access deleted user data and share details with law enforcement agencies, according to allegations included in an explosive lawsuit filed by an ex-employee who said he was ousted for raising concerns about the practice.

Brennan Lawson, a former member of Facebook’s global escalations team, said he became concerned after learning in 2018 about a new tool that allowed content screeners to view data from the social media firm’s Messenger app — even if the user had deleted it.

The lawsuit alleges that the protocol allowed workers “to circumvent Facebook’s normal privacy protocols” in a way that the platform’s users were not aware was possible. The tool was reportedly employed to assist law enforcement officials during investigations into social media activity.

“Law enforcement would ask questions about the suspect’s use of the platform, such as who the suspect was messaging, when messages were sent, and even what those messages contained,” Lawson claims in the suit, according to Bloomberg.

“To keep Facebook in the good graces of the government, the Escalations Team would utilize the back-end protocol to provide answers for the law enforcement agency and then determine how much to share,” Lawson adds.

Lawson said he was fired in July 2019 shortly after he questioned the practice’s legality. Facebook officials accused him at the time of improperly using a Facebook administrative tool, according to Bloomberg.

Filed in California state court, the lawsuit alleges that Facebook’s ability to access deleted data violated European user privacy regulations as well as Federal Trade Commission requirements that Meta accurately state its policies to users.

When reached for comment, Meta pushed back on the lawsuit’s claims.

“These claims are without merit and we will defend ourselves against them vigorously,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

A current job posting on Meta’s career board says members of its escalations team are responsible for “managing escalations surrounding Facebook’s policies and procedures, complex global legal issues and the dynamic landscape of free expression on the Internet.”

Meta has faced widespread scrutiny over its data privacy practices in recent years. In February, Meta warned that Facebook and Instagram could shut down in Europe unless it reached a data transfer agreement with European regulators.

The lawsuit is the latest headache for Meta, which is scrambling to correct its course despite signs of slowing revenue and user growth.

Earlier this month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company was “turning up the heat” on its workers in an effort to force out those who are unable to meet stricter performance targets.