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Meta is removing end-to-end (E2E) encryption for Instagram DMs after first rolling out the feature in late 2023.
E2E encryption means that no one except the two parties messaging each other can read the message logs, including government entities, law enforcement, or even Meta itself. The good news is that users will still be able to use E2E encryption on WhatsApp, where it is enabled by default, and on Facebook Messenger, where it is enabled automatically for personal messages (but not group or business messages).
The social media platform will end support for the feature on May 8. According to its official support page, users can download any media or messages they may want to keep from the impacted chats until then; otherwise, they may lose access to their messages. You may need to upgrade to a newer version of your app to download your data.
The feature never became available in many regions outside the US, and E2E chats needed to be enabled manually. In a statement to PCMag, a Meta spokesperson said it opted to remove the feature because “very few people were opting in to end-to-end encrypted messaging in DMs.”
“Anyone who wants to keep messaging with end-to-end encryption can easily do that on WhatsApp,” they added.
Meta’s choice to add E2E to Instagram had attracted controversy. In a case brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, lawyers alleged that the company “knew that E2E would make its platforms less safe by preventing it from detecting and reporting child sexual exploitation and the solicitation and distribution of child exploitation images sent in encrypted messages.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave testimony in a deposition as part of the case last month.
Meanwhile, Nevada’s attorney general dubbed the addition of E2E “irresponsible,” claiming it “drastically impedes law enforcement.” Many of Meta’s peers may now be choosing to avoid adding E2E to their social media platforms altogether. TikTok recently told the BBC it was not planning to add E2E to its platform, as it believes the technology stops police and safety teams from reading direct messages if needed.