Instagram scraps end-to-end encryption for direct messages

Instagram users will no longer be able to send end-to-end encrypted direct messages, as parent company Meta has switched off the feature globally.

The removal of end-to-end encryption (E2EE) marks a significant reversal by Meta, which had previously promoted the technology as the gold standard for user privacy. E2EE ensures that only the sender and recipient can access messages, preventing third parties — including the platform itself — from viewing content, as per BBC.

With the feature now discontinued, Instagram will revert to standard encryption, meaning the platform can access the content of direct messages, including images, videos and voice notes. Under standard encryption, internet service providers may also be able to access private material if required, a system commonly used by major online services such as Gmail.

Meta had pledged in 2019 to expand E2EE across its messaging platforms, stating that "the future is private." The company completed the rollout on Facebook Messenger in 2023 and later introduced E2EE on Instagram as an optional feature, with plans to make it the default.

However, after seven years, Meta has decided not to proceed with a wider rollout on Instagram. The company told reporters the decision was based on low user adoption of the feature.

The change was not formally announced. Instead, Meta quietly updated Instagram’s terms and conditions in March, stating: "End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram will no longer be supported after 8 May 2026.

"If you have chats affected by this change, you will see instructions on how to download any media or messages you may wish to keep," it said.

The decision has drawn mixed reactions. Child protection groups, including the NSPCC, welcomed the move, having long argued that E2EE can hinder efforts to detect harmful activity online.

"We are really pleased," said Rani Govender from the charity, adding E2EE "can allow perpetrators to evade detection, enabling the grooming and abuse of children to go unseen."

Privacy advocates, however, strongly criticised the decision. Maya Thomas from Big Brother Watch said she was "disappointed" and described E2EE as "one of the key ways children can keep their data safe online, so we're concerned that Meta may be caving to government pressure."

By Tamilla Hasanova