"If you have chats that are impacted by this change, you will see instructions on how you can download any media or messages you may want to keep. If you're on an older version of Instagram, you may also need to update the app before you can download your affected chats."
"E2EE has been hailed as a win for privacy, as it ensures that only communicating users can decrypt and read messages, thereby locking out service providers, bad actors, and other third parties from accessing or intercepting the data."
"Law enforcement and child safety advocates have argued that the technology creates a safe space for criminals, as it prevents companies from complying with warrants to turn over message content - a problem referred to as the 'Going Dark' phenomenon."
Meta announced the discontinuation of end-to-end encryption (E2EE) support for Instagram direct messages, effective May 8, 2026. Users will receive instructions to download media and messages before the change takes effect. The company introduced E2EE testing in 2021 as part of a privacy-focused vision and expanded it to all adult users in Russia and Ukraine during the 2022 conflict. This reversal follows internal 2019 warnings that encryption would hinder detection of illegal activities like child sexual abuse material and terrorist propaganda. Law enforcement and child safety advocates have long argued that E2EE creates opportunities for criminal activity by preventing companies from complying with warrants.
#end-to-end-encryption #instagram-privacy-policy #law-enforcement-vs-privacy #child-safety #meta-messaging-security
Read at The Hacker News
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