The Danger Behind Meta Killing End-to-End Encryption for Instagram DMs

5 hours ago

Meta is removing end-to-end encryption from Instagram chat on May 8, despite earlier commitments to expand it.
The company cites low user adoption as the reason, but critics argue the feature was poorly implemented and hard to find.
Privacy advocates warn this sets a dangerous precedent, weakening encryption commitments across big tech.
Meta had previously emphasized default encryption, but Instagram's version remained opt-in and buried in menus.
Internal documents reveal political tensions within Meta over encryption, with some executives calling it 'irresponsible.'
The decision comes amid global pressure from governments to weaken encryption for surveillance purposes.
Meta redirects users to WhatsApp for encrypted chats, signaling a potential shift away from Messenger and Instagram for privacy-focused messaging.
A new partnership with Signal's creator aims to bring AI-powered encryption to Meta AI, but details remain unclear.
Critics suspect Meta's encryption push was more about repairing its image post-scandals than genuine commitment to privacy.

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