Meta-owned social media platform Instagram will stop supporting its end-to-end encryption (E2EE) messaging feature after 8th May 2026. The company has confirmed the change in a recent blog post. The E2EE messaging feature was introduced on the platform in December 2023 to enhance the privacy of users. After the discontinuation of E2EE messaging, the message sent on Instagram will no longer be protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning Meta will be able to access the content of chats.
The company said in the blog post that it will provide instructions on how users can download their existing data. Meta said ““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.”
Further, the blog post states that users running an older version of the Instagram app may need to update it before they can download their chats.
Why is Meta doing so ?
The company has taken this decision amid growing concerns regarding about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the internet. Removing end-to-end encryption will allow the tech giant to scan direct messages and calls on Instagram to detect content related to CSAM, grooming, or other forms of harassment.
The government in several countries consisting of United States, United Kingdom as well as policymakers in EU have been working on to identify and remove such harmful content from private messaging services.
The governments have also proposed laws regarding this, such as the EU Chart Control Regulation proposal and Online Safety Act 2023 in the UK, would give authorities greater powers to require platforms to detect CSAM even within private communication.
However, the company has not officially revealed the reason behind the change to the messaging system on Instagram,
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
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