New Delhi, Mar 17: Meta is all set to remove end-to-end encryption from Instagram Direct Messages (DM). In the revised Instagram FAQ page, Meta has confirmed that it will discontinue the user-privacy-centric feature effective May 8, 2026. Instagram, with more than three billion active users globally, has seen a sharp decline in DM usage.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is one of the advanced protective user safety features that promises 100 per cent personal privacy.
With end-to-end encryption enabled, conversations between the two individuals will be private and cannot be intercepted by any means. Even the government or the company, in this case Meta, which offers a messenger service, can’t access it.
The E2EE tech is complex and expensive due to high development, infrastructure, and maintenance costs, so Meta has the taken the decision to remove it in Instagram DM.
As the deadline gets close (May 8, 2026), Instagram users will begin to see pop-up messages with instructions on how to download photos and videos, and transfer them to their phone or a computer storage.
Meta has advised people to switch to WhatsApp for messaging, texting, and sharing personal details such as photos and videos with less concern, as it is protected with end-to-end encryption.
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 spokesperson said to Deccan Herald
In a related development, Instagram, which is facing scrutiny of teen safety, has revealed that it will begin notifying parents if their teenage child repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short period.
With increased use of social media platforms, there has been a surge in phone addiction among adolescents, and research studies have shown that excessive viewing of reels or any similar short video content for hours can cause a sharp decline in cognitive thinking capability in children.
Instagram has introduced several measures to offer more control to parents to limit the screen time for the kids, but it is falling short in meeting its core objective.
A few months ago, Australia announced a ban on social media platforms for kids under 16. Even in India, the Karnataka government earlier this month announced it is working on a similar plan in the state. (Deccan Herald)
