Instagram is removing end-to-end encryption for private messages

Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for private messages between users from May.

Instagram is to remove end-to-end encryption for private messages between users.

The social media platform’s owner Meta announced on its Instagram help page that end-to-end encryption will no longer be available on direct messages between users on the site from May 8.

This means that Meta will be able to see the contents of messages between all users, whereas at present it can only do so for users who do not enable encryption.

A spokesperson for Meta explained that the decision was made to abandon end-to-end encryption because of low uptake.

They said: “Very few people were opting in to end-to-end encrypted messaging in DMs, so we’re removing this option from Instagram in the coming months.

“Anyone who wants to keep messaging with end-to-end encryption can easily do that on WhatsApp.”

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg first floated plans to roll out end-to-end encryption across the firm’s platforms in 2019, but implementation did not begin until 2023.

The tech behemoth has faced criticism from child safety groups and law enforcement over the feature, as they argue that encryption weakens the ability to keep children safe online.

Tom Sulston, head of policy at Digital Rights Watch, claims that Meta has made the decision because it has opted against moving messaging on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram to a single platform – rather than bowing to law enforcement demands.

He said: “The fact that WhatsApp is staying encrypted suggests that Meta might be pivoting to segregating social media from chat a bit more – the main distinction being that social media users can discover each other, whereas chat users need to know each other first.”

Sulston also thinks finances are a factor behind Meta’s decision, as the company has the potential to use message content to train chatbots and determine advertising.

He said: “They may not be doing that now, but the commercial pressure to do it is huge, so it feels inevitable that they will if they’re not already.”