Metadata is more useful than data in the sense that data may be “encrypted” using a different unknown scheme between every two users (e.g. a hitman may discuss

Metadata is more useful than data in the sense that data may be “encrypted” using a different unknown scheme between every two users (e.g. a hitman may discuss “a job”, a bribe might be described as “a gift”, a non public stock tip might be “weather is going to be good tomorrow”). However, metadata is always what it is. If you have someone who is distance 2 from 20 people who died unnaturally, but not distance 1 - that person is likely related to their untimely death. The reason metadata is useful is because, unlike the text, it is generally required to be unobfuscated to 3rd parties for the communication to be useful to the 1st and 2nd parties.